Tennessee may soon carry out its first execution of a woman in more than 200 years after the state Supreme Court approved moving forward with the death sentence of Christa Gail Pike. Now 49, Pike is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and was just 18 when she committed one of the state’s most notorious murders.

On January 12, 1995, Pike lured 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer into a wooded area near the University of Tennessee campus. Investigators said jealousy over a boyfriend drove Pike to plan the attack. With two accomplices, she carried out a brutal killing that shocked the community.

During questioning, a disturbing detail emerged. Pike showed detectives a piece of the victim’s skull she had kept, and a retired investigator said she demonstrated how it fit **“like a puzzle.”** Her behavior during interrogation was described as unusually calm and unsettling.

Pike was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to death. One accomplice received life without parole, while the other was granted probation after cooperating. In 2004, Pike received an additional 25-year sentence for attempting to strangle another inmate.

After decades of appeals, the state set an execution date for September 30, 2026. Her lawyers continue to argue that her background and mental health should be considered, citing trauma, abuse, and diagnoses including bipolar disorder and PTSD. They say these factors should weigh heavily against execution.

If carried out, her death sentence would mark Tennessee’s first execution of a woman since 1820, highlighting both the rarity and seriousness of the case. The situation has reignited debate over capital punishment, mental health, and the limits of justice in extreme crimes.