KEY  FACTS

Christa experienced severe, repeated rapes, and other forms of sexual violence, that began when she was a toddler. Christa Pike was the victim of multiple rapes and severe, repeated physical and sexual abuse and violence that began when Christa was a toddler. She did not receive the medical and psychological care and attention she needed from her family or state actors. Growing up, Christa suffered an “almost unbearably abusive background,” according to Dr. Jonathan Pincus, P

When Christa Pike received her sentence on March 30, 1996, she became the youngest woman sentenced to death in the United States in the modern era. When Christa Pike received her sentence on March 30, 1996, she became the youngest woman sentenced to death in the United States in the modern era. Christa was just 18 years old when she committed a crime that reflected her severe mental illness. Her youth is evident in photos and videos of her calling out for her mother as the ju

In addition to being born with organic brain damage, Christa suffers from bipolar disorder and severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder . Christa was born with organic brain damage and a malformation of the brain caused by alcohol abuse while her mother was pregnant. The signs of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder began to manifest very early in Christa with seizures when she was an infant. Throughout her childhood, Christa developed Bipolar Disorder and suffered from Post-Traumati

Christa’s state appointed lawyers failed to present any mitigating evidence of her history of sexual violence and abuse to the jury, and her sentence is also disproportionate to the other two defendants who were involved. In January 1995, Christa (age 18), Tadaryl Shipp (age 17), and Shadolla Peterson (age 19) killed another teenaged girl, Colleen Slemmer, also a young Job Corps student. The murder was sensationalized because a pentagram had been carved into the victim’s ches

Prior to a recent settlement, Christa had been held in solitary confinement for 27 years, which exacerbated her underlying mental health issues. In September 2024, attorneys representing Christa reached a settlement with the Tennessee Department of Corrections that will increase Christa’s privileges, including her ability to interact with other inmates and participate in work and recreational activities. Ultimately, this settlement allows her to enjoy the same privileges that