NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (WOKI / WVLT) – Attorneys for Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike are mounting a new legal challenge, questioning whether the state can carry out her execution in a constitutional manner.
In a motion filed with the Tennessee Supreme Court, Pike’s legal team is asking for the appointment of a Special Master to review how the state’s lethal injection protocol would be applied in her case. They argue Pike has unique physical, medical and mental health conditions that could result in extreme pain under the current execution method.
The filing comes in the wake of a recently halted execution involving inmate Tony Carruthers, which has raised broader concerns about the state’s ability to properly administer lethal injections.
“The State of Tennessee is not able to constitutionally carry out executions,” Pike’s attorney, Luke Ihnen, wrote in the motion. He cited the Carruthers case as evidence of possible systemic issues, including concerns about training and the availability of qualified medical personnel.
Pike was convicted of the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. Prosecutors said Pike carried out the killing on the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus, believing Slemmer was trying to interfere in her relationship.
Pike remains the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and is scheduled for execution on September 30.
The Tennessee Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the latest motion.
