BEFORE SHE BECAME A NAME IN THE HEADLINES, COLLEEN SLEMMER HAD DREAMS

Her mother has spent more than three decades making sure people remember the young woman behind the tragedy

Long before her name became connected to one of Tennessee’s most closely followed death-penalty cases, Colleen Slemmer was simply a 19-year-old young woman with dreams, hobbies and a heart for helping others.

Her mother, May Martinez, has spent more than three decades carrying those memories with her.

As the case surrounding Christa Pike returned to national attention in 2026, May has continued to speak about something she believes should never be forgotten: Colleen was more than the way her life ended.

She was a daughter, a student and a young woman who loved computers, roller skating and helping children.

A GIRL WHO LOVED COMPUTERS

Colleen had a fascination with computers from a young age.

Her mother remembered how Colleen enjoyed taking computers apart and putting them back together with her stepfather.

She even had a favorite T-shirt that proudly described her as a “computer geek.”

The shirt became especially meaningful to her family after her death.

Rather than allowing it to disappear into the past, May and her family had the shirt transformed into a teddy bear — something they could keep close as a physical reminder of Colleen.

For May, that small object represents something much bigger.

It is a reminder of the daughter she knew before headlines, courtrooms and years of painful memories became part of the family’s life.

SHE LOVED HELPING OTHER PEOPLE

Colleen’s mother has also remembered her daughter as someone who cared about others.

While still in school, Colleen helped children who needed additional assistance.

She worked with students during lunch, helping them eat and get around.

She also volunteered at Special Olympics events and took part in activities that allowed her to give her time to people who needed support.

Her mother remembered her as sweet and helpful — qualities that May continues to emphasize decades later.

Those memories paint a very different picture from the one created by the criminal case that eventually became attached to Colleen’s name.

A FUTURE THAT WAS JUST BEGINNING

After graduating from high school, Colleen traveled from her home in Florida to Knoxville, Tennessee, to attend the Job Corps program.

Her grandfather had encouraged her to pursue the opportunity because of her interest in computers.

For a 19-year-old fascinated by technology, it seemed like a chance to learn new skills and begin building a future.

Colleen was not simply a victim whose story began and ended with a tragedy.

She was a young woman who had plans and interests that were still developing.

And that unfinished future is one of the deepest sources of pain for the people who loved her.

THE LAST CONVERSATION

On January 12, 1995, Colleen spoke with her mother by telephone.

May later recalled that her daughter told her that three students were bothering her.

It would be the last time the two spoke.

Later that night, Colleen was killed.

Christa Pike, who was 18 at the time, was eventually convicted in connection with Colleen’s death and sentenced to death.

The case has remained in the public eye for decades, but May has repeatedly returned to the same message: remember Colleen herself.

THREE DECADES OF GRIEF

For May, the passage of time has not erased the loss.

More than 30 years later, she still talks about Colleen as the daughter she remembers — the girl who liked computers, helped children and enjoyed roller skating.

The places associated with Colleen have also remained emotionally difficult.

In a recent interview, May described how familiar locations around her old community could bring memories rushing back — the school, skating rink and movie theater all connected to the life her daughter once lived.

After another devastating loss in the family, May eventually moved away from the area.

But distance cannot erase memory.

COLLEEN’S NAME RETURNS TO THE HEADLINES

Colleen’s story came back into national attention in September 2026 as Tennessee prepared to carry out the execution of Christa Pike.

Pike’s execution attempt ultimately failed, leaving her critically ill in hospital and prompting Tennessee officials to order an independent review. Her attorneys have raised concerns about problems with the procedure, while state officials said the execution protocol was followed.

For May, the development reopened decades-old wounds.

She had spent years waiting for what she believed would be the final chapter in her daughter’s case.

Instead, the failed execution created another unexpected turn in a story that began with the loss of a 19-year-old daughter.

“REMEMBER HER FOR WHO SHE WAS”

Amid renewed attention on the case, May’s memories of Colleen offer another way of looking at the story.

There was the young woman who loved computers.

The daughter who wore a shirt calling herself a “computer geek.”

The teenager who volunteered to help children and participated in Special Olympics activities.

The young woman who left Florida for Knoxville hoping to learn new skills and build a future.

Those are the memories May continues to carry.

And the teddy bear made from Colleen’s favorite shirt remains a small but powerful symbol of that life.

Because before Colleen became a name in court documents and news reports, she was a daughter with dreams.

More than three decades later, her mother still wants the world to know that girl.