Christa Pike, the youngest woman ever sentenced to death in American history, is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee at the end of September.
Background on the case
Pike was 18 when she killed fellow student Colleen Slemmer, and stood trial in March 1996 in Knox County, Tennessee, at age 20, facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty but was found guilty on both counts by a jury. Now 50, she remains just weeks away from execution.
Her final words in court
Court records document that before being led away to her cell following the verdict, Pike asked Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz: "Can I please hug my mum before I go." When told no, she pleaded again: "Please, let me just hug my mum." Court documents note that Pike wailed as she was led away, while her mother offered reassurance.
What happened to Colleen Slemmer
Slemmer, 19, was a fellow student at the Job Corps Center, where she knew Pike and Pike's boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. Pike had grown jealous of Slemmer, believing she was trying to pursue Shipp. On 12 January 1995, Shipp, Pike, and another student lured Slemmer to an isolated area under the pretence of reconciling. According to court records, the group then attacked Slemmer over a period of around 30 minutes to an hour, during which she pleaded with them to stop. Pike is documented as having repeatedly struck her, including hitting her head against concrete and cutting her with a box cutter, before fatally cutting her throat. When Slemmer attempted to flee, Pike threw a piece of asphalt at her and continued the assault after she fell. Pike reportedly later told a friend she had taken a piece of Slemmer's skull afterward.
The court also noted that satanic symbols had been engraved into Slemmer's body. Her body was discovered the following day by a university employee, who testified that her injuries were severe enough that he initially mistook her remains for those of an animal.
