Who Is Christa Pike? What to Know About the Death Row Inmate

Christa Pike's murder of Colleen Slemmer back in the 1990s shocked citizens of Tennessee, where Pike has remained on death row ever since she was convicted of the Slemmer's killing.

Pike won't be on death row for much longer -- because she was just given a date for her execution.

We're going to take a look into the murderer's background and see what's happened in the years since she committed her heinous crime.

Christa apparently experienced a difficult upbringing, which allegedly included instances of both physical and sexual abuse, according to USA Today.

The convicted murderer later described herself as "mentally ill," especially around the time of the killing, in a letter to The Tennessean.

Christa's attorneys later said she'd been diagnosed with "bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders," although the conditions weren't discovered until after she'd been convicted of murdering Slemmer.

Her attorneys, who also said she'd been subject to neglect as a child, claimed she'd later developed "deep remorse" for her actions.

Christa, who was just 18 years old at the time of the crime, initially met Slemmer through their participation in the Knoxville Job Corps, and she eventually became fearful of Slemmer trying to steal her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp.

Slemmer was murdered on January 12, 1995, when Christa, Shipp, and their friend Shadolla Peterson lured her into a wooded area near the Corps center and began attacking her, killing her. Christa carved pentagrams into her victim's forehead and chest in the attack.

The murderer also kept a fragment of her victim's skull, and she showed it off to fellow students.

She was eventually arrested, and she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1996. Tadaryl Shipp was also convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison ... while Peterson, who apparently served as a lookout, received probation after testifying against Christa.

Christa's legal team has made several appeals, and they've argued she would not receive the same sentence if she were tried today, according to CBS News.

Her attorneys' filings have apparently noted evidence of their client's various issues -- including PTSD and congenital brain damage -- wasn't included at her trial.

However, Christa -- who's currently the only female inmate on death row in Tennessee -- has since been given an execution date of September 30, 2026.