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Attorneys Seek Stay of Execution for Christa Pike, Citing Her Own Traumatic Past
Tennessee authorities are preparing to execute Christa Pike, 50, for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, potentially making her the first woman executed in the state in over two centuries. Her attorneys have filed a clemency request, arguing that Pike suffered severe childhood abuse and neglect, which contributed to untreated PTSD and a later diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The crime involved the torture and killing of Slemmer, who was lured to an energy plant; Pike’s accomplice, Tadaryl Shipp, received life imprisonment. While UN human rights experts urge stopping the execution, the victim’s mother, May Martinez, supports the death penalty, stating Pike must atone for the horrific act. Governor Bill Lee holds the sole power to grant clemency.
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