Christa Pike suffering ‘cognitive challenges’ and ‘profound psychological trauma’ after botched execution: lawyers

Christa Pike, 50, is set to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday in Knoxville, Tennessee, marking the first time a woman will be put to death in the state in over 200 years. Pike was convicted of murdering her classmate Colleen Slemmer, 19, at a job training camp for troubled teens when she was just 18 years old. The brutal killing included torture and carving a satanic symbol into the victim’s body.

Pike's attorneys argue that given her history of childhood sexual abuse and untreated mental illness, a death sentence is unjust. They have requested clemency from Governor Bill Lee but were denied on Monday. Her legal team also filed a petition with the US Supreme Court to stay the execution, citing potential severe psychological trauma from being strapped to a gurney for lethal injection.

Slemmer's mother supports moving forward with the execution after waiting decades for justice. Despite Pike’s acceptance of her fate and her statement that she is “at peace,” there remains uncertainty as her case could potentially be halted if the Supreme Court intervenes before the scheduled date. The execution, if carried out, would make Pike one of only 18 women executed in the US since the 1970s, compared to over 1,600 men during the same period.