Strapped to a gurney and moments away from a scheduled execution, convicted killer Christa Pike began singing with her spiritual adviser before the procedure went seriously wrong.
Behind the viewing glass at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on September 30, 50-year-old Christa Pike lay restrained on a gurney with an IV inserted into her arm. She was waiting for Tennessee officials to administer the drugs intended to carry out her death sentence.
Before the execution began, however, witnesses heard Pike singing alongside her spiritual adviser. By the end of the night, instead of being pronounced dead, she was being taken for emergency medical treatment.
The Murder Of Colleen Slemmer
Pike’s death sentence dates back more than three decades to the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.
On January 12, 1995, Pike and her boyfriend at the time, Tadaryl Shipp, lured Slemmer to an isolated area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus in Knoxville.
The three teenagers had connections through the Knoxville Job Corps. Prosecutors said Pike believed Slemmer was interested in Shipp.
Slemmer was subjected to a prolonged and violent attack before she was killed. Shipp carved a pentagram into her chest, while Pike later kept part of Slemmer’s skull as a souvenir and reportedly showed it to other students.
Pike Was Sentenced To Death
Pike was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. She received the death penalty and became the youngest woman ever sent to Tennessee’s death row.
Shipp, who was 17 at the time of the killing and therefore could not receive a death sentence, was sentenced to life in prison. Peterson testified for prosecutors and later received probation.
More than 30 years after Slemmer’s death, Tennessee scheduled Pike’s execution for September 30, just days after what would have been Slemmer’s 50th birthday.
The Execution Begins
Pike’s execution was originally planned for 10 a.m., but a series of legal developments delayed the procedure until the evening. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually allowed Tennessee to proceed.
Witnesses entered the viewing room shortly after 6:30 p.m. The curtain opened at 7:27 p.m., revealing Pike lying on the gurney with an IV in her right arm.
She spoke with Rev. Mikey Noechel, her spiritual adviser, and delivered her final statement before officials began administering the lethal drugs.
But within minutes, it became clear that something was not going according to plan.
Pike complained that the vein in her arm felt as though it was about to burst. She also asked her spiritual adviser whether what she was experiencing was normal.
When he encouraged her to relax, Pike smiled and laughed before saying, “I’m trying.” A tear was reportedly visible on her face.
The Procedure Goes Wrong
Witnesses soon noticed Pike having difficulty breathing.
Her body appeared to rise from the gurney during several deep breaths. At one point, she lifted her head and looked toward her arm. Her feet also moved enough to push the sheet away.
The viewing curtain was briefly closed and later reopened, but Pike was still alive. Witnesses reported hearing loud breathing, gasping and snoring from inside the chamber.
After she gave a large yawn, officials closed the curtain again. This time, it remained shut, although witnesses said Pike could still be heard breathing and snoring.
Nearly two hours later, the microphone was turned off and witnesses were instructed to leave the viewing area.
Officials had reportedly used two syringes of pentobarbital during the attempted execution.
Taken For Emergency Treatment
Pike did not die during the procedure.
Her attorney later said that she was transported to an outside medical facility, where she was receiving emergency, life-saving treatment.
Colleen Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, witnessed the failed execution with her husband, Raul. She described the situation as deeply upsetting and said the family was eventually ordered to leave the viewing area without receiving a clear explanation at the time.
The couple expressed anger over the failed execution and the fact that Pike remained alive and was receiving medical care.
Pike Sang Before The Attempt
Earlier that evening, before the execution drugs were administered, the atmosphere inside the death chamber had been much quieter.
Pike had been accompanied by her spiritual adviser, believing that she was experiencing her final moments.
At one point, she sang alongside him, repeating the words, “I love you.”
The moment came shortly before the execution attempt that ultimately failed and resulted in Pike being taken to a hospital for further treatment.
The case has left questions surrounding the failed procedure and Pike’s medical condition following the attempt, while Slemmer’s family continues to live with the loss of their daughter more than 30 years after her death.
