Tennessee Set to Execute First Woman in Over 200 Years, Christa Pike Christa Pike is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee on September 30, becoming the first woman put to death in the state in more than 200 years, while her lawyers seek clemency. Christa Pike, now 50, is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee on September 30, becoming the first woman put to death in the state in more than 200 years. She was convicted of the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student. May Martinez, Slemmer's mother, plans to attend the execution and sit in the front row, holding a picture of her daughter. She told the Daily Mail she has little sympathy for Pike's requests for special treatment.Background of the 1995 MurderIn January 1995, Pike, then 18, lured Slemmer to an isolated area of the University of Tennessee campus. There, she subjected Slemmer to a torturous attack that lasted more than an hour and ended in a fatal bludgeoning.Pike was convicted the following year and became the youngest woman sentenced to death in the United States. She has been on death row since then, and her execution date has been set for September 30.Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, told the Daily Mail that Pike should not receive any special treatment. She said Pike did not consider how her daughter felt and is just playing the system.Pike's Final Requests and Clemency BidAs her execution approaches, Pike has made a series of last-minute requests for her final moments. She has asked for an all-female team to carry out her lethal injection, arguing that being restrained and handled by men could retraumatize her because of past sexual abuse.If that request is denied, she has asked to be hanged instead. Her lawyers are also asking Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to grant her clemency and commute her sentence to life without parole, citing her history of childhood sexual abuse and mental illness.In a 226-page clemency petition, Pike's attorneys argue that she is now terrified of what awaits her, suffering horrible nightmares and shredded nerves as judgment day edges closer. They have asked Governor Lee to consider a childhood marked by repeated sexual violence, physical abuse and neglect.According to the petition, Pike was sexually abused by her grandmother's boyfriend from the ages of two to five. At 11, she was raped by a 37-year-old neighbor who received only a suspended sentence and continued living nearby.Then, at 17, almost exactly a year before Colleen's murder, Pike reported being dragged into the woods and raped by a stranger while walking to a store. A rape kit was performed, but the attacker was never identified.Her attorneys also claim she endured physical abuse at home, attempted suicide several times as a child, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD after reaching death row. None of Pike's documented history of sexual abuse was presented to the jury when deciding whether she should live or die.Her lawyers argue that omission deprived jurors of crucial context about the teenager they were sentencing. They insist it does not excuse Colleen's murder, but should matter when deciding Pike's fate.In the petition, her attorneys argued that Christa was broken, not evil. They said she was broken by the people and places that were meant to be safe and supportive, and by mental health, juvenile and criminal justice systems that ignored, misdiagnosed and mistreated her.Now, after receiving proper treatment, they claim the Pike of today bears little resemblance to the volatile teenager who killed Slemmer. Her advocates describe her as thoughtful, even-tempered, bright, funny and deeply remorseful.As part of the petition, Pike's mom, Clarissa Hansen, wrote a letter appealing to Gov. Lee. She voiced her regrets and admitted to failing her daughter at important moments.Hansen said she was distracted by work and men for much of Pike's childhood. She also claimed her heart was broken for Slemmer's family and that she has spent years trying to find ways to ease Martinez's pain.Victim's Family Rejects Clemency ArgumentsBut Martinez says she has never heard from Pike or anyone close to her. She said Pike's supposed remorse has never been expressed directly to the family.She told the Daily Mail that Pike has not apologized in 31 years. Martinez plans to be in the front row for the execution, holding up a picture of her daughter to ensure it is the last thing Pike sees.The case has drawn national attention as Pike is set to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. If the execution proceeds, it will be a rare execution of a woman in the United States.Governor Bill Lee has not yet announced a decision on the clemency request. Pike's legal team continues to push for a commutation to life without parole, while the state moves forward with preparations for the September 30 execution.