Federal Appeals Court Pauses Execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee
The court is reviewing claims that Pike's history of child abuse was not adequately considered during her sentencing.
The execution of Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, was halted Wednesday by a federal appeals court as it reviews her case. Pike, 50, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a stay of execution in a 2-1 decision, citing the need to review whether Pike's allegations of childhood sexual abuse and rape were fully considered before she was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. The order stated the execution is stayed "until further order of this court."
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Richard Allen Griffin described the action as "another last-ditch meritless effort to delay a lawful execution."
The state of Tennessee has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate the appeals court's stay. In an application filed by Warden Kenneth Nelsen, the state argued that Pike is unlikely to succeed on her claim, as it has been "already unsuccessfully presented." The state also cited its "strong interest in finality and the surviving victims' right to closure," urging the Supreme Court to vacate the stay to prevent further trauma to Slemmer's family.
Pike was found guilty in 1996 of first-degree murder for the brutal killing of Slemmer, a fellow Jobs Corps worker. Pike, who was 18 at the time of the murder, reportedly told a friend she killed Slemmer because she "just felt mean that day." She admitted to committing the crime with her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who was also convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
In a June court filing challenging her execution, Pike's legal team argued that her history of rape and sexual abuse, coupled with being "the lone female in a vulnerable position surrounded by male corrections officers," could trigger PTSD and lead to a torturous execution or mental decompensation rendering her incompetent to be executed.
The Tennessee Supreme Court had previously rejected her claims. Her request for the U.S. Supreme Court to review her claims of cruel and unusual punishment due to her PTSD from childhood abuse was denied Tuesday. Later that day, Pike filed a motion asserting ineffective assistance of counsel at sentencing, claiming her trial attorney failed to introduce evidence of her history of child sexual abuse.
Stephen Ferrell, Pike's attorney with the Federal Defenders Services of Eastern Tennessee, stated, "The court has stayed this recognizing the serious concerns about Christa's scheduled execution."
According to court filings, members of Slemmer's family intend to attend Pike's execution. Warden Nelsen's filing noted, "It is far past time for Colleen's family to receive the closure they seek."
While incarcerated, Pike was convicted in 2001 of attempted first-degree murder for an assault on another inmate, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.