Tennessee Resumes Executions: Christa Pike's Case Raises Concerns
Tennessee has resumed executions after a three-year hiatus, with Christa Pike, the only woman on death row, among those scheduled. Pike's case has drawn attention due to her youth and mental health at the time of her crime. Concerns have also been raised about the state's lethal injection protocol.
Pike, now 45, was convicted in 1995 for the brutal murder of Colleen Slemmer. Alongside her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, Pike stabbed and beat Slemmer, leaving a pentagram carved into her chest and taking a piece of her skull. Pike's attorneys have pleaded for clemency, citing her severe mental illness and youth at the time of the crime.
Tennessee's execution protocol has faced scrutiny. An independent review found that drugs used in seven executions since 2018 were not properly tested. The state Attorney General's Office admitted that two officials gave incorrect testimony under oath about testing these drugs. Concerns were further raised when inmate Byron Black reported feeling intense pain during his execution in 2020, with his autopsy showing signs of pulmonary edema.
Pike is not the only inmate facing execution. Harold Nichols, convicted of rape and murder in 1988, and others like Tony Carruthers, Gary Sutton, and Anthony Hines, convicted of murder in the 1980s and 1990s, are also scheduled. Pike's execution, set for May 19, 2021, marks the first in a new round of executions after a three-year pause.
Pike's execution, along with others scheduled, raises questions about Tennessee's lethal injection protocol and the fairness of capital punishment, particularly in cases involving mental illness. As the state moves forward with executions, these concerns remain at the forefront.
