Reason why first woman executed by US state in over 200 years will have a 'special master' appointed
A death row inmate set to be the first woman executed in Tennessee for over 200 years has had a 'special master' appointed to the case.
The Tennessee Supreme Court made the decision ahead of Christa Gail Pike's planned execution, which is set to take place on September 30.
Shelby County Senior Judge Mark Ward is taking on the role of special master - which, according to the National Institute of Justice, is typically someone who acts as a volunteer attorney.
The special master is appointed to carry out actions on behalf of the court, for example to evaluate scientific facts in the case.
Advert
Pike was found guilty of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995 after she and two other lured Slemmer to her death in the woods in Knoxville. Slemmer was beaten and stabbed before having a pentagram carved into her chest.
Ahead of her planned execution, Ward will evaluate whether her death is constitutional, given Pike's lawyers have spoken openly about the inmate's physical and mental health.
The special master will also assess whether Pike will endure too much pain during the execution, while also evaluating the option of the death row inmate having Buddhist adviser with her.
Pike's case is actually the first of its kind in Tennessee to have a special master attached to it.
It comes after the inmate's attorney, Stephen Ferrell, expressed concerns ahead of the execution and ultimately made a special request to the state.
"We are particularly concerned given Christa Pike’s blood condition thrombocytopenia, which leads to excessive bleeding, as well as her small veins which make the insertion of a needle difficult, even for the most trained medical professionals," the legal expert said.
He expressed caution as 'the difficulty establishing IV lines is a known complication that has caused prolonged and botched executions for years..'
Ferrell continued: "Pike’s unique condition would cause a bloody froth in her lungs that would amount to drowning.
"Since the state released the 2025 execution protocol, defense counsel, medical experts, and advocates have warned that the lack of clarity on any number of issues would result in a torturous execution."
Pike lawyers have argued her execution would be unconstitutional due to a history of abuse by men. The execution is set to be carried out by a team of men.
Attorney Luke Ihnen, Pike's representative, said in a statement: "We are pleased that the Tennessee Supreme Court recognizes and is taking seriously the problems we have identified with Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol as it applies to Christa’s specific mental and medical needs.
"Christa suffered unimaginable sexual violence and abuse by adult male authority figures throughout her childhood."
The current plans mean Pike would need to be transported from the female prison she currently resides in to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, which has just male inmates.
Pike is alleged to have committed the murder of Slemmer as she believed she was attempting to steal her boyfriend.
Slemmer's body was found by a groundskeeper who testified that 'the body was so badly beaten that he had first mistaken it for the corpse of an animal', CBS News reported.
Callum Jones