Killer Christa Pike to be executed within days - but her defence say she's a victim too

Christa Pike, who was convicted of killing a fellow student in 1995, is set to be executed within days in Tennessee. Her legal team has filed a clemency petition, arguing that she should not be put to death because she is also a victim and would not be sentenced to death under current legal standards.

Pike was sentenced to death for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, a crime that shocked the nation. Her lawyers contend that evolving standards of decency and recent Supreme Court rulings on juvenile offenders and intellectual disability should apply to her case. They also point to evidence of severe childhood abuse and trauma that was not fully presented at trial.

The case has drawn international attention, with death penalty opponents calling for clemency and supporters of the execution emphasizing the brutality of the crime. The governor of Tennessee is expected to make a decision in the coming days, while Pike's legal team continues to pursue appeals. If the execution proceeds, it would be the first in Tennessee since 2020.