Ex-chief says Christa Pike was ‘almost giddy’ describing murder as governor weighs in after botched execution
Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection, prompting her lawyers to ask Governor Bill Lee to commute her death sentence. Lee said he expects the sentence to remain in place unless a court decides otherwise, leaving Pike’s fate uncertain as legal proceedings continue.
Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps participant in Knoxville. Former police chief Phil Keith recalled Pike appearing remorseless and “almost giddy” when discussing the killing; court records say Pike confessed. The execution attempt on 30 September involved two doses of pentobarbital before Pike was taken to hospital and later returned to prison.
In short
- Tennessee’s lethal injection attempt against Pike failed.
- Governor Lee expects her sentence to stand unless courts decide otherwise.
- Pike was convicted of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those who favour keeping Pike’s death sentence argue that it reflects the gravity of a deliberate murder and the jury’s judgement after the trial. They may also see carrying out the sentence, if courts find it lawful, as respecting the legal process and the interests of the victim’s family.
The case against
Those who favour commutation argue that a failed execution raises serious questions about whether the state can carry out the sentence lawfully and humanely. They may also regard the passage of time, the possibility of rehabilitation and the irreversibility of capital punishment as reasons for the governor to show mercy, while leaving the courts to assess the case fairly.
Explained simply
Christa Pike was sentenced to death for killing Colleen Slemmer, a 19-year-old fellow participant in a job-training programme in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1995. Police chief Phil Keith later said Pike seemed pleased when talking about the killing; court records state that she confessed.
Tennessee attempted to execute Pike by lethal injection, a method intended to cause death using drugs. The attempt did not succeed, and she was taken to hospital before returning to prison. Her lawyers have asked Governor Bill Lee to reduce her sentence, while court proceedings continue over what happens next.