Woman convicted in Satan-symbol killing faces Tennessee’s first female execution in 200 years

29 Sep 2026 • 2:25 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Woman convicted in Satan-symbol killing faces Tennessee’s first female execution in 200 years

  • Tennessee is scheduled to carry out its first execution of a female prisoner in 200 years on Wednesday, with the death of 50-year-old Christa Pike.
  • Pike was 18 when she was convicted of the 1995 murder and torture of 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville.
  • Tennessee Governor Bill Lee denied clemency for Pike, prompting her legal defense team to request a stay of execution from the Supreme Court.
  • Pike's attorneys argue the death sentence is inappropriate given her age at the time of the crime, severe childhood trauma, and untreated mental illness.
  • The victim's mother supports the execution going forward, stating she has waited decades to see Pike's sentence carried out.

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