Nearly three decades after committing one of the most shocking murders in Tennessee, Christa Gail Pike is now scheduled for execution, becoming the only woman on the state’s death row.
Pike was convicted in 1995 for the murder of fellow Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. At just 20 years old, she was sentenced to death, making her the youngest woman in modern U.S. history to receive a capital punishment sentence.
The Tennessee Department of Correction has confirmed that Pike’s execution is scheduled for 2026, pending the resolution of any outstanding appeals. Over the years, her case has drawn significant national attention due to the brutality of the crime, her age at the time of sentencing, and the rarity of female death row inmates.
Currently, Pike remains incarcerated at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, living under strict death row conditions while her legal team continues to navigate ongoing appeals.
Her case highlights the extreme isolation, legal uncertainty, and scrutiny that female death row inmates face. Nearly 30 years later, Pike remains one of the most closely monitored inmates in the United States as the execution date approaches.
