Victim’s Mother Speaks as Christa Pike Execution Nears

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Colleen Slemmer’s Mother Speaks Before Christa Pike Execution

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Colleen Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, speaks about her daughter and the long-awaited execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee.

More than 31 years after her daughter was killed, May Martinez is preparing to face one of the final moments of a case that has shaped her family’s life for decades.

Martinez is the mother of Colleen Slemmer, the 19-year-old Knoxville Job Corps student killed in 1995. Christa Pike, who was 18 when Slemmer was killed, is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee on Sept. 30, 2026.

For Martinez, the approaching execution has brought renewed attention not only to Pike, but also to the daughter she lost.

Remembering Colleen Slemmer

Speaking to The Associated Press, Martinez described Colleen as easygoing and interested in computers.

She said Colleen volunteered with the Special Olympics, enjoyed roller skating and hoped to pursue a career involving computers.

“She was easygoing. She was a computer geek to begin with. She and my husband would build and tear apart the computers constantly,” Martinez said.

Martinez also remembered the last time she spoke with her daughter.

Colleen called her mother from Job Corps on the night she was killed, but the call repeatedly dropped because of poor reception.

A Mother’s View of the Execution

Martinez has said she wants Pike’s sentence to be carried out.

In recent interviews, she has emphasized that her focus remains on accountability for the death of her daughter.

“I’m her voice,” Martinez said in an interview with WBIR as she prepared for the execution.

In another recent interview, Martinez said she believed Pike should be held responsible for what happened to Slemmer.

Her position contrasts sharply with the arguments being made by Pike’s attorneys, who have asked courts and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to spare Pike’s life.

Pike’s Final Days on Death Row

Pike, now 50, has spent more than three decades on Tennessee’s death row.

She was convicted of first-degree murder for Slemmer’s 1995 killing and sentenced to death in 1996.

Pike has acknowledged her responsibility for the killing. In a statement included in her clemency petition, she expressed remorse for taking Slemmer’s life and said she had come to understand the effect of the crime on the victim’s family.

Pike’s attorneys, however, argue that her age at the time of the crime and her history of severe childhood abuse and mental-health problems should be considered when determining whether her death sentence should be carried out.

Governor Denies Clemency

The latest major development came Sept. 28, when Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee denied Pike’s request for clemency.

Lee said he had reviewed the request and would uphold the state’s sentence rather than intervene.

Pike’s attorneys have since turned to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to stop the execution.

As of Sept. 29, Pike remains scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, although the pending federal proceedings could still affect whether the execution proceeds.

A Family Still Speaking About Colleen

As the execution date approaches, Martinez has continued to bring the focus back to the daughter she lost.

Colleen was 19 when her life ended. Her mother now faces the possibility of watching the state carry out Pike’s sentence more than three decades later.

The case has also become part of a broader national debate over executions, youth, childhood trauma and the death penalty.

But for Martinez, the story remains personal.

It is the story of a daughter who loved computers, volunteered with the Special Olympics and dreamed about her future — a future she never had the chance to live.

What Happens Next

Pike’s execution is scheduled for Sept. 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering Pike’s request for a stay, while her family and Slemmer’s family await the outcome.

For May Martinez, the approaching date represents more than a legal deadline. It is another moment in a loss that began when her 19-year-old daughter never came home.

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Colleen Slemmer’s Mother Speaks Before Pike Execution

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