KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — A special hearing began Tuesday in Knox County Criminal Court as attorneys for death row inmate Christa Gail Pike seek to delay or alter her scheduled September execution.
Pike, the only woman currently on Tennessee’s death row, is scheduled to be executed on September 30, 2026, for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville.
The hearing is being presided over by Senior Judge Mark Ward, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court as a Special Master to gather facts and recommendations regarding Pike’s claims. The Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether any changes should be made to the scheduled execution.
Judge Emphasizes Narrow Scope of Hearing
At the beginning of Tuesday’s proceedings, Judge Ward stressed that the hearing is not a new appeal of Pike’s conviction.
“This is not collateral litigation,” Ward said, explaining that the Tennessee Supreme Court has asked him to examine specific factual questions related to Pike’s physical and psychological condition before her scheduled execution.
The judge must submit his findings to the Supreme Court by August 21, with both sides allowed to file objections by August 28.
Concerns Over Housing and Mental Health
A major portion of Tuesday’s testimony focused on how Pike will be housed and monitored prior to her execution.
Under normal Tennessee Department of Correction procedures, death row inmates are transferred to the Capital Punishment Unit at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution 14 days before execution. However, prison officials testified they plan to move Pike no more than 24 hours before the scheduled execution date in an effort to reduce psychological stress.
Defense attorneys argue Pike suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder linked to a history of sexual abuse and trauma.
They expressed concern that housing Pike in an all-male prison environment, even temporarily, could worsen those conditions.
TDOC Assistant Commissioner of Prison Operations Linda Thomas testified that officials intend to use female staff members for transportation and observation whenever possible.
Thomas also said privacy accommodations, including the use of privacy screens, could be utilized during Pike’s stay at Riverbend.
State attorney Will Ayers testified that the department’s goal is to use female personnel but cautioned that emergency staffing circumstances prevent officials from offering absolute guarantees.
Challenge to Lethal Injection Procedure
Pike’s attorneys are also challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol itself.
The defense argues Pike’s medical history, including the blood disorder thrombocytosis, could make placement of a standard intravenous line difficult and potentially painful.
Attorneys want the court to consider alternatives, including the use of a central line placed in a larger vein.
Defense lawyers additionally argued that Pike’s Buddhist beliefs prevent her from selecting Tennessee’s alternative execution method, the electric chair.
Attorneys told the court Pike’s preferred alternative would be execution by hanging. However, prison officials testified that hanging is not authorized under Tennessee law and that Riverbend Maximum Security Institution is equipped only for lethal injection and electrocution.
Riverbend Warden Kenneth Joseph Nelson testified that the prison lacks both the authority and equipment necessary to carry out an execution by hanging.
Convicted in High-Profile 1995 Murder
Pike was convicted in the torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville in 1995.
Prosecutors said Pike attacked and killed Slemmer on the University of Tennessee Agricultural Campus after believing Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend.
The case gained national attention due to the brutality of the crime and Pike’s age at the time of the murder.
What Happens Next
Judge Ward will continue reviewing testimony and evidence before completing his report to the Tennessee Supreme Court later this month.
The Supreme Court will then determine whether Pike’s arguments warrant a stay of execution or modifications to the state’s execution procedures.
Unless the court intervenes, Pike remains scheduled to be executed on September 30, 2026, which would make her the first woman executed in Tennessee since 1819.
