Most of the world never got to meet Colleen Slemmer because Christa Pike killed her in 1995. Colleen was only 19 at the time. Christa was 18.
As described by the people who loved her, Slemmer was kind, playful, trusting, easygoing, generous and smart. This month, she’d be 51 years old. She didn’t get to grow up, build a life, and accumulate 30 years of experiences and complexities.
While most of the last 30 years were spent in isolation on death row, Christa Pike did get the chance to see middle age, to live out the contradiction of being a teenage murderer and also something else. “Someone that was the worst person at that prison was the first person to say, what can I help you with?” said Kasey Raines, who credits Christa Pike with helping her get through her third trimester when she was pregnant and in prison.
Before the federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay of her execution, three women who’ve known Christa Pike talked to WPLN News about her impact and influence that extends beyond the walls of Riverbend Maximum Security Prison. Press play to listen.
Tasha AF Lemley WPLN NewsAshlee Sellars was a teenager when she started her 21-year sentence. Christa Pike reached out to her by mail, and they started a penpalship until Ashlee was transferred to the same unit.
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