# Christa Pike Survived Execution > Tennessee's failed execution of Christa Pike raises spiritual and legal questions after 31 years. - Title: Christa Pike Survived Execution · Dallas Express | Shortify - Summary: Tennessee's failed execution of Christa Pike raises spiritual and legal questions after 31 years. Christa Pike survived Tennessee's execution attempt despite… - Keywords: christa pike, colleen slemmer, tennessee, pentobarbital, death penalty, satanic imagery, buddhism, redemption, executions, tennessee department of correction, bill lee, pentagram - Source: Dallas Express — https://dallasexpress.com/crime/she-survived-the-execution-christa-pike-case-raises-questions-about-evil-redemption-and-death - Author: Dallas Express - Published: 2026-10-01T14:37:12+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: christa pike, colleen slemmer, tennessee, pentobarbital, death penalty, satanic imagery, buddhism, redemption, executions, tennessee department of correction, bill lee, pentagram ## Failed Execution Tennessee administered two rounds of pentobarbital to Christa Pike but she remained alive after the procedure. > Tennessee administered two rounds of pentobarbital to Christa Pike, according to her attorneys, but she remained alive. ## Satanic Murder Case Christa Pike killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995 with a pentagram carved into her chest. > Slemmer was killed in 1995 by Christa Pike and Tadaryl Shipp (Image provided by May Martinez, Colleen Slemmer's mother/WVLT) ## Pike's Buddhist Practice Pike now practices Buddhism, including metta meditation with her spiritual adviser. > Her Buddhist beliefs became part of recent litigation over Tennessee's execution procedures. ## Execution Details Pike was strapped to a gurney at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution during the execution attempt. > Pike was strapped to the gurney at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. ## Execution Timeline The second dose of pentobarbital was administered by 8:26 p.m., and Pike snored until 8:53 p.m. > Witnesses reported that the second dose of pentobarbital had been administered by 8:26 p.m. Pike could still be heard snoring behind the closed curtain until the microphone was cut off at 8:53 p.m. ## Tennessee's Response Tennessee halted its 2026 executions and ordered a third-party review of the failed execution. > Gov. Bill Lee subsequently ordered what he called a comprehensive, third-party review of the failed execution and halted Tennessee's remaining scheduled execution for 2026. ## Pike's Final Meal Pike declined the opportunity to select a special final meal before her execution. > Pike also declined the opportunity to select a special final meal before her scheduled execution, per WSMV4, choosing not to request one. ## Pike's Boyfriend Pike's boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp received a life sentence with parole possibility, while Pike received a death sentence. > Her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, was 17 when the crime occurred. Pike was 18. ## Rare Female Execution Pike would have been Tennessee's first woman executed in over two centuries. > Pike would have been the first woman executed by Tennessee in more than two centuries. ## Victim's Mother Colleen Slemmer's mother described the execution attempt as a mess and said Pike didn't die. > They went to try to execute her, and she didn't die. ## Legal Precedent Tennessee's execution attempt differs from the 1946 Willie Francis case due to the drugs entering twice. > Pike's attorneys say the execution drugs actually entered her body TWICE without causing her death. ## Spiritual Questions Christianity holds that evil is real, judgment matters, and redemption remains possible even for the guilty. > Christianity holds simultaneously that evil is real, judgment matters, human beings are responsible for their actions and redemption remains possible even for the guilty. ## Time Difference Pike received one more day after 31 years of waiting for her execution to end. > Pike expected to have no tomorrow. She received one. Colleen Slemmer did not. ## What Happens Next Tennessee will attempt to execute Pike again if the courts permit the same procedure. > Whether Tennessee will attempt to execute her again, and whether the courts will permit the state to proceed under the same procedure, is now an open question. ## Key takeaway Christa Pike survived Tennessee's execution attempt despite being convicted of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995, sparking debates about redemption and the death penalty.