CHRISTA PIKE COULD BECOME THE FIRST WOMAN EXECUTED IN TENNESSEE IN NEARLY 200 YEARS AFTER SPENDING ALMOST THREE DECADES ON DEATH ROW — Convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, Christa Pike was just 18 years old when the crime occurred and 20 when she received a death sentence. The case shocked the nation because of the brutality of the murder and Pike’s young age. Over the years, attorneys raised arguments involving childhood trauma, mental health issues, and her difficult upbringing, while courts repeatedly upheld the conviction and sentence. With Tennessee scheduling her execution for September 30, 2026, the case has once again become the focus of debate over capital punishment, youth, rehabilitation, and whether decades of incarceration should alter the outcome of a death sentence