Youthful brutality and endless wait: The Christa Pike tragedy
Christa Pike was only 18 years old when she was sentenced to death for the brutal murder of her peer, Colleen Slemmer, in 1995. To this day, nearly three decades later, she remains on America's "death row," awaiting the execution of her sentence.
On 12 January 1995, in Tennessee, Pike, along with 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp and 18-year-old Shadolla Peterson, planned an attack on Slemmer, believing she was trying to win the affections of Shipp, Christa's boyfriend. The three young people left their dorms and headed to a nearby forest, where the "settling of scores" was to take place.
Pike, under the pretense of making peace, suggested they smoke marijuana together. Once they arrived, Colleen was brutally attacked by Christa and Tadaryl, while Peterson acted as a lookout.
According to court testimonies, the victim was beaten, cut, and a pentagram was carved into her chest. The torture lasted about half an hour before Pike ultimately ended Slemmer's life by crushing her skull with a piece of asphalt.
One of the most shocking elements of this case was that Pike kept a fragment of Colleen's skull as a trophy, which she later bragged about to her friends.
Arrest of the perpetrators
Shortly after the crime, Pike, Shipp, and Peterson were arrested. Pike confessed to torturing and killing Slemmer, although she claimed she only intended to scare her. Nevertheless, the court found her guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. On 22 March 1996, the verdict was announced: death by electrocution.
Shipp, who participated in the crime, received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Peterson, in exchange for cooperating with authorities, was sentenced to six years of probation.
Awaiting execution
Christa Pike became the youngest woman in the US to receive a death sentence, but despite this, the execution has never been carried out. The reasons for this are complex, with one of the main factors being the lengthy legal procedures associated with death sentences in the United States.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, inmates sentenced to death often spend years, even decades, waiting for execution or exoneration. Since 2013, more than half of the inmates who have been exonerated spent over 25 years on "death row."
Pike has repeatedly filed appeals and then withdrawn them, attempting to alter her sentence. She even had an execution date set for 19 August 2002, but at the last moment withdrew her appeal, allowing for further delays in the case.
Troubles behind bars
Her life behind bars hasn't been peaceful either. In 2001, Pike attempted to murder fellow inmate Patricia Jones by strangling her with a cord. In 2004, she was convicted for attempted murder.
Ten years later, in 2012, a plan for her prison escape was revealed. Donald Kohut, who corresponded with Pike in prison, and prison guard Justin Heflin were involved in its organisation. Kohut was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Heflin lost his job. Although Pike was not formally charged in this matter, the question remains as to how much she was involved in the escape attempt.
The story of Christa Pike is not only a terrifying example of youthful brutality but also highlights the complexity of the American criminal justice system. Even though nearly three decades have passed since her crime, Pike still awaits the resolution of her case, which remains uncertain.
