Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Civic Brief • Murder

Christa Pike

Christa Gail Pike is an American convicted murderer on Tennessee's death row for the 1995 killing of her classmate Colleen Slemmer.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Christa Gail Pike is an American convicted murderer on Tennessee's death row for the 1995 killing of her classmate Colleen Slemmer. She was convicted in 1996 and remains the only woman on the state's death row, with an execution date set for September 30, 2026.

What it is

Christa Pike was born March 10, 1976, in West Virginia and later lived in Tennessee. At age 18, she was involved in the brutal murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student in Knoxville. Pike was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to death.

Why it matters

Pike's case draws attention because she is the only woman on Tennessee's death row. The severity of the crime and her young age at the time have fueled ongoing appeals and media coverage. In 2025, Tennessee set a rare execution date for a female prisoner.

Key details

Pike is held at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville. Her execution is scheduled for September 30, 2026. She was 20 at conviction and has been on death row since 1996. No other woman in Tennessee currently faces the death penalty.

In short

  • Christa Pike was convicted in 1996 for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
  • She is the only woman on Tennessee's death row.
  • Her execution is set for September 30, 2026.
  • Pike was 18 at the time of the crime and 20 when sentenced.

Quick questions

Who is Christa Pike?
Christa Pike is an American convicted murderer sentenced to death in Tennessee for the 1995 killing of Colleen Slemmer.
Where is Christa Pike now?
She is incarcerated on Tennessee's death row at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville.
When is Christa Pike's execution date?
Tennessee set her execution for September 30, 2026.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christa_Pike
    Supports: Birth date, conviction, death-row status, and scheduled execution date
  2. USA Today — https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/21/christa-pike-tennessee-death-row/73793044007/
    Supports: Status as Tennessee's only woman on death row, incarceration location, conviction details, and appeals
  3. State of Tennessee — https://www.tn.gov/correction/about-us/executions/women-on-death-row.html
    Supports: Official confirmation that Christa Pike is the only woman on Tennessee's death row and was convicted in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer
  4. The Tennessean — https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2023/08/30/christa-pike-only-woman-on-tennessee-death-row-moves-to-reopen-appeal/70573801007/
    Supports: Age at offense, death-row status, and prison location
  5. Death Penalty Information Center — https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessees-execution-of-christa-pike-would-make-her-the-first-woman-to-be-executed-in-the-state-in-over-200-years
    Supports: Execution date and significance as first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years