Christa Gail Pike is an American woman on Tennessee’s death row who was convicted of the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. On September 30, 2026, the state tried to execute her by lethal injection, and the attempt failed. This page summarizes her background, the case, the failed execution and what has happened since, using news reports and public records.
Latest Update: October 3, 2026
As of October 3, 2026, Tennessee has not carried out Pike’s execution. The Associated Press, reporting through WZTV, says officials were unable to execute her after two doses of pentobarbital at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on Wednesday evening, September 30. The Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed its protocol and that she was taken to an off-site medical facility. CBS News reports that her attorneys said they had not been told her condition.
Governor Bill Lee, who had denied clemency, ordered what he called a comprehensive third-party review and said the state’s last remaining 2026 execution will not go forward as planned. NPR reports he said the botched attempt shouldn’t have happened. One advocacy site, citing The Tennessean, reports that Corrections Commissioner Frank Strada is resigning later in October. I could not confirm that with a second source.
This page does not take a position on the death penalty. Claims by Pike’s attorneys and by the state are attributed to them, and the review of what went wrong is still under way.
Who Is Christa Pike?
Christa Gail Pike was the only woman on Tennessee’s death row. Wikipedia says she is the subject of a long legal fight over whether her sentence should be carried out, and she would have been the first woman executed in the state in more than 200 years.
Background / Early Life
Pike was born on March 10, 1976, in Beckley, West Virginia, according to Wikipedia. Her attorneys say her childhood involved years of physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Wikipedia says she often skipped school and ran away as a teenager. In late 1994 she enrolled in the Job Corps program in Knoxville, Tennessee, hoping to become a nurse.
The 1995 Case
On January 12, 1995, Pike, then 18, and two other Job Corps students took 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer into a wooded area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus and killed her, according to court records cited by CBS News. Prosecutors argued that Pike believed Slemmer was a rival over a boyfriend. NPR says Pike was convicted of the murder and admitted to it. Pike was sentenced to death in 1996, and the two others involved were not capitally charged, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Slemmer’s family has spoken publicly about her as a caring young woman who volunteered with the Special Olympics and wanted a career in computers.
Years of Appeals
Pike’s lawyers argued that her age at the time of the crime, her history of abuse, and later diagnoses of bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder should keep her from being executed, according to Fox News Digital. The Tennessee Supreme Court set the execution date for September 30, 2026, in an order dated September 30, 2025, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Governor Lee denied clemency on September 28, 2026.
The September 30, 2026 Execution Attempt
The execution was first set for the morning of September 30. CBS News reports that last-minute court fights delayed it. A federal appeals court stayed it based on child-abuse claims, and, about an hour before the scheduled time, the U.S. Supreme Court overrode that stay, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News. Pike was then given two doses of pentobarbital that evening. Media witnesses told the AP that she remained alive afterward, and she was taken to a hospital.
Pike’s lawyers said in a statement that the state “once again failed to carry out a lawful execution.” Her attorneys also said her arms were swollen, burned and blistered after the attempt, according to Fox 17. The state says its protocol was followed and does not allow additional procedures beyond what was carried out. NPR notes this was Tennessee’s second failed attempt of 2026, after the state halted the May execution of Tony Carruthers when medical workers could not place a second IV line.
What Happens Next
I found no announced date for another attempt. The governor’s review and the cancellation of the remaining 2026 execution mean the timeline is uncertain. Pike’s lawyers are likely to raise new legal challenges, but I did not find a filing at the time of writing. A Tennessee congressman has asked the legislature to consider the firing squad, according to WZTV, and that is a request, not law.
Christa Pike Age
Christa Pike was born on March 10, 1976, and is 50 years old as of October 3, 2026. She turns 51 on March 10, 2027. The calculation is 2026 minus 1976, which is 50, and her 2026 birthday has already passed.
Family, Marriage and Children
I found no reliable, verified information about Pike’s parents, siblings, marriage or children, so none is stated.
Education, Religion, Height and Net Worth
I found no verified information on her education beyond her Job Corps enrollment. Her religion, height and finances are also not verified, so they are not stated.
Quick Table
| Full Name | Christa Gail Pike |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 10, 1976 |
| Age | 50 as of October 3, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Beckley, West Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Convicted of | The January 12, 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, in Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Sentence | Death (1996) |
| Execution date | September 30, 2026; attempt failed after two doses of pentobarbital |
| Current status | Taken to an off-site medical facility; future execution date not announced |
| Official response | Governor Bill Lee ordered a third-party review and canceled the remaining 2026 execution |
Reader Questions
Who is Christa Pike?
She is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. She is 50 years old.
Was Christa Pike executed?
No. Tennessee tried to execute her on September 30, 2026, but she survived two doses of lethal injection.
Why did the execution fail?
The cause is under review. The state says it followed its protocol, and Governor Bill Lee has ordered a third-party review.
Where is Christa Pike now?
The Tennessee Department of Correction said she was taken to an off-site medical facility. I found no later report on her condition.
Will Tennessee try again?
No new date has been announced. The governor said the state’s last remaining 2026 execution will not go ahead as planned.
Who was Colleen Slemmer?
She was a 19-year-old Job Corps student from a family that remembers her as caring and outgoing. She was killed on January 12, 1995.
How old is Christa Pike?
She was born on March 10, 1976, so she is 50 as of October 3, 2026.
Wrap-Up
The case of Christa Pike has two sides that are both part of the record. Colleen Slemmer was killed at 19, and her family has waited more than 30 years for the sentence to be carried out. Pike’s lawyers argue that she was an abused teenager who should not be executed, and the failed attempt has opened a new debate about how Tennessee carries out its death penalty.
The official review will determine what officials say about what went wrong. Until then, the verified facts are that the execution did not succeed, the governor halted the remaining 2026 execution, and no new date has been set.
As of October 3, 2026, Christa Pike is alive, and the state’s failed attempt is under review.
Disclaimer
This article is based on news reports and public records reviewed on October 3, 2026. It covers a developing legal situation, and claims by the state and by Pike’s attorneys are attributed to them. It takes no position on capital punishment.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.