Execution date set for US state's only woman on death row
Share this @internewscast.com

The Tennessee Supreme Court has set execution dates for four people, including the only woman in the state on death row.

Christa Pike received the death sentence at age 18 for the 1995 torture slaying of Colleen Slemmer, who was a fellow Knoxville Job Corps student.

Slemmer, 18, was stabbed and beaten by Pike and Tadaryl Shipp, Pike’s boyfriend at the time, on the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural campus.

An execution date has been set for Christa Pike, the only female death row inmate in Tennessee. (AP)

They carved a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest, and investigators claimed Pike took a piece of the victim’s skull for a souvenir. Shipp, of Memphis, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Pike was also convicted in 2004 for trying to strangle a fellow inmate during a prison fight, which added 25 years to her sentence.

Pike’s lawyers previously asked the state’s high court to commute her sentence based on her youth and “severe mental illness at the time of her crime.”

Pike suffered physical and sexual abuse and neglect as a child, according to her attorneys. She also suffered from bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders that were not diagnosed until years after her arrest.

“With time and treatment … Christa has become a thoughtful woman with deep remorse for her crime,” a Wednesday statement from her attorneys reads. Tennessee began a new round of executions in May after a three-year pause following the discovery that the state was not properly testing lethal injection drugs for purity and potency.

An independent review later found that none of the drugs prepared for the seven inmates executed in Tennessee since 2018 had been fully tested. The state Attorney General’s Office also conceded in court that two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee’s lethal injection drugs ” incorrectly testified ” under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as required.

A court in Tennessee has set execution dates for, from left, Gary Sutton, Tony Carruthers and Anthony Hines. (AP)

Kelley Henry, a federal public defender who represents several death row inmates, said on Wednesday that the state still has not answered many questions about the last execution where Byron Black said he was “hurting so bad” while he lay on the gurney.

Black’s autopsy found pulmonary edema, a condition of fluid in the lungs his attorneys have said would feel like drowning or suffocating.

“We will continue to fight to bring the truth of what happened to light before these executions move forward to protect our clients from being tortured the way Byron was,” Henry said.

The court on Tuesday also set execution dates for Tony Carruthers, Gary Sutton and Anthony Hines.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

DoorDash Driver’s Discovery Leads to Tragic Unveiling of Woman’s Body Hidden in Apartment Closet

Left inset: Lhis Brito-Costa (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Evelin Enamorado-Cisnado…

Florida Manhunt: Fatal Double Shooting Near TPC Sawgrass Halts Tournament and Leads to Arrest

A manhunt for a Florida suspect involved in a deadly double shooting…

Self-Represented Candidate’s Tarantula Tossing Trial: A Tale of Legal Missteps and Political Drama

Inset: Marisa Simonetti (Hennepin County Jail). Simonetti speaking with a local TV…

Tragic Loss: 15-Year-Old Struck and Killed by Driver While Crossing Street with Girlfriend

Inset: Juliani “Gio” Moreno (GoFundMe). Background: Vehicle that hit and killed Moreno…

Urgent: Chicago Police Request Assistance in Locating Missing Endangered Mother and Child

Authorities in Illinois are intensively searching for a 4-year-old girl and her…

Newberry Crime Alert: Local Man Arrested for Shoplifting and Illegal Firearm Possession

By Staff Writer NEWBERRY, Fla. – A 23-year-old man named Kobe Deon…

Patient Lawsuits Allege Inadequate Sterilization of Heart Surgery Equipment at Hospital Linked to Infections and Fatalities

Left inset: Darrell Schroll. Right inset: Ron Wood (Facebook). Background: The University…

Tragic Case of Neglect: Mother Sentenced for Starving Special Needs Son Amidst Ample Resources

Inset: Samantha Hardiman (Lucas County Jail). Background: The home where Hardiman starved…

Shocking Arrest: Newberry Man Caught in Bold Burglary Near UF Campus

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have apprehended 34-year-old David Russell Nantz…

Shocking Scandal: ‘Cool Mom’ Convicted for Hosting Underage Drinking and Lewd Parties

Shannon O’Connor is notorious for hosting unruly gatherings at her luxurious Los…

Top Vehicles Targeted in the Age of Sophisticated Car Theft Techniques

Victoria Police has revealed the cars most likely to be stolen as…

Military Veteran Arrested on New Charges for Alleged Threats Against President Following Court Appearance

Left: Travis Juhr (X/@lancevideos). Right: President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in…