As people fight to protect Christa Pike’s life, let’s not forget about her victim Colleen Slemmer’s

You’ve definitely heard of Christa Pike, after she survived her lethal injection, but you might not know the name Colleen Slemmer as well. In 1995, Colleen Slemmer’s life was cut short. She was murdered by her then 18-year-old classmate, Christa Pike. Colleen herself was only 19. 

Colleen’s murder was brutal. So brutal it’s the reason Pike was handed the death penalty, prior to surviving her lethal injection execution attempt.

Pike lured Colleen to a secluded area of woods, where she and her boyfriend tortured and killed her. They beat her for 30 minutes, carved a pentagram into her chest and forehead and killed her by hitting her head with a large piece of asphalt. Pike kept a piece of Colleen’s skull, which she bragged had been a “souvenir.” She and her then boyfriend both confessed to the killing, and were convicted.

Now, what’s next for Christa Pike remains unclear. One option is that her execution could be attempted again, but Pike’s legal team are desperately campaigning to save her life, and for that to not be what happens. 

“The criminals get so much attention. Why?” Colleen’s mum, May Martinez told WBIR. “She has been lost in this … she’s been forgotten.” And she’s not wrong. From the very start of the case, Colleen’s name has been second. 

In an article published on the Cornell Law School website, it describes how when Christa Pike was sentenced to death, she “called out for her mother”. The website link is dedicated to talking about Christa’s childhood and upbringing, and why a jury should have “spared her life”. Colleen doesn’t even get a mention. 

“Nobody,” May Martinez said, “remembers Colleen.”

Picture via May Martinez

Colleen Slemmer was caring, friendly, and loved to help people 

Colleen Slemmer grew up in Florida, and she has been described by those who knew her as a caring and friendly person. According to reports from around the time of her death, Colleen had been living with her mother, stepfather and little sister. 

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Colleen’s mother described her as compassionate, and added: “Colleen loved doing things. She babysat. She loved to do anything with kids, and I think it was part of me because I had daycare for 40 years.”

She was clearly always doing things with others in mind. Colleen took up volunteering with the Special Olympics, and spent time working with children with disabilities and autism. 

May Martinez said her daughter had a laugh that would stay with you, and recalled her daughter as a sweet and mild-mannered person. She described her as a vibrant and generous presence. 

Colleen dreamed of studying computing 

Colleen Slemmer had left her life in Florida behind, in a pledge to live out her dreams of studying computing in Tennessee. But, Tennessee would end up being the place her life and dreams were taken away from her. 

Colleen loved computers and technology, and couldn’t wait for that to be her career. In her interview with WBIR, May Martinez said she often thinks about the life her daughter wasn’t able to have. 

“She was a computer geek to begin with. She and my husband would build and tear apart the computers constantly,” she further told Associated Press. “She trusted everybody, and that was her downfall.”

At the time of her death,Colleen was a student in a Job Corps educational program in Knoxville. Aside from her academic life, Colleen had hobbies, including rollerskating. 

Colleen Slemmer’s family still mark her birthdays. She would have turned 51 last month. 

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