Christa Pike says she is ‘at peace’ as she shares final letter ahead of execution
Christa Pike says she is 'not afraid to die' in a letter written to her spiritual advisor.
The 50-year-old will be the first woman to be executed in the US state of Tennessee in over 200 years on Wednesday (30 September) for her role in the 1995 murder of classmate Colleen Slemmer.
In a letter written to NBC News before learning that Tennessee Governor Bill Lee would not be offering her a reprieve, Pike said that she was not afraid to die and at peace with the prospect of her life ending.
"Whether my clemency is granted or not, I am at peace," she wrote. "I'm not afraid to die."
Advert
Pike went on to state that she is only 'nervous' about undergoing the lethal injection, an execution method which has been likened to torture if it goes wrong.
Pike previously revealed her fears about undergoing the procedure in the YouTube documentary Dead Woman Walking: Pike Vs Tennessee, explaining that she was terrified that staff wouldn't be able to find a suitable vein to inject the life-ending drugs.
"I’m so scared that what just happened to Tony Carruthers will happen to me," she said in reference to the May 2026 case, where Carruthers was granted a one-year reprieve after staff were unsuccessful in locating an intravenous line.
What was Christa Pike sentenced to death for?
On 12 January 1995, Pike, her boyfriend and another friend lured Colleen Slemmer to a secluded woodland in Knoxville.
Pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, then brutally attacked Colleen while their friend, Shadolla Peterson, kept watch. According to court documents, the pair launched a sustained attack on Colleen over a period of 30 minutes, which included Shipp carving a pentagram into her chest, Pike then killed the 19-year-old by delivering a fatal blow to the head.
Allegedly motivated by the suggestion that Colleen was trying to 'steal' her boyfriend, Pike then took a piece of her skull back to campus.
Pike, Shipp and Peterson were later arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Peterson, who later gave evidence against the pair for the prosecution, was handed probation after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact.
Meanwhile, Shipp was handed a life sentence with the possibility of parole. As of 2026, Shipp remains behind bars and can apply for parole in 2030.
Pike's lawyers have since argued that she should've been given life in prison, arguing that her childhood issues, age and mental health problems were all mitigating factors in the case.
Christa Pike's final letter in full
The full letter, shared with NBC by Pike's spiritual advisor Rev. Mikey Noechel, is as follows: "I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who has supported me through these hard days.
"I've felt more love in the past two weeks than I have my entire life. Though there was an absence - when my people showed up for me - they have showed up and showed out! I am humbled beyond words.
"Whether my clemency is granted or not, I am at peace. I am not afraid to die. I'm only nervous about the process. I want to thank everyone for their time and attention in exposing my true character above the limited public presence that has been the only narrative.
"Also, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak in my own words. I wish you loving kindness."
Brenna Cooper