The Execution of Christa Gail Pike

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present

Episode: The Execution of Christa Gail Pike

Release Date: April 1, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Amy Robach and TJ Holmes delve into the impending execution of Christa Gail Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and the first woman scheduled to be executed in the state in nearly 200 years. They explore the complex legal, ethical, and personal dimensions of her case—from the brutal details of Pike’s crime to her recent lawsuit challenging her execution on grounds of religion, health, and constitutional rights. The hosts also reflect on how society perceives female offenders, the role of mercy and redemption, and the impact on victims’ families.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rarity and Significance of Female Execution in Tennessee

• Pike’s execution, set for September 30, 2026, would be the first of a woman in Tennessee in nearly two centuries.

• Nationally, only 18 women have been executed since 1976, representing about 1% of all executions.

• Societal attitudes towards the death penalty seem to shift when the individual is a woman, especially one perceived as a mother or caregiver.

  • Notable quote:
    “Do we feel any differently when it comes to executing a woman?... Since 1976, only 18 women have been executed in this country. That's 1%.”
    — TJ Holmes (06:24)

2. Legal Battle: Constitutional, Medical, and Religious Arguments

• Pike’s Lawsuit: Claims that her execution would violate her constitutional rights and Buddhist beliefs:

  • Constitutional: Cites the 8th Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, arguing her rare blood condition (thrombocytosis) could lead to her drowning in her own blood during lethal injection.

  • Religious: States that her Buddhist faith prohibits participating in her own death, preventing her from choosing between lethal injection and electrocution (Tennessee's only two approved methods).

  • Historical Context: Her attorneys argue modern standards would likely preclude sentencing an 18-year-old with a history of trauma and mental illness to death.

  • Notable quote:
    “Her attorneys are arguing that if she were tried today, she would not have been sentenced to death because of her age, her mental illness... and her history of sexual abuse as a young child.”
    — Amy Robach (13:38)

• State’s Response: Contends that some pain is inherent in all executions and that Pike’s claims don’t demonstrate unconstitutional risk. The state brief also includes pointed commentary on Pike’s commitment to the sanctity of life.

  • Notable quote:
    “The 8th Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death and that some risk of pain is inherent in any method of execution… For a little fun, we wish Pike's commitment to the sanctity of life had arrived in time to save Colleen Slemmer.”
    — Amy Robach (15:22)

3. Crime Details and the Public’s Reaction

• The Murder: At age 18, Pike orchestrated and committed the brutal torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer, whom she perceived as a romantic rival.

• Crime Specifics: Pike lured Slemmer into the woods, inflicted multiple stab and slash wounds, carved a pentagram into her chest, delivered a fatal blow, and took a piece of the victim’s skull as a trophy.

• Public Sympathy: The heinousness of the crime influences public and legal positions, despite acknowledgment of Pike’s traumatic upbringing.

  • Notable quote:
    “Her crime is heinous… she absolutely admits to having done this now… She tortured before she murdered a 19 year old girl… when you hear what she did it's tough to reconcile.”
    — Amy Robach (09:27)

4. Factors of Age, Upbringing, and Mental Illness

• Pike’s Youth: She was barely 18 at the time of the crime; her boyfriend was 17. Tennessee has not executed anyone for a crime committed at ages 18-20 in modern history.

• Background: Pike reportedly suffered years of physical and sexual abuse and struggled with mental illness.

  • Notable quote:
    “When you think about a child who has been abused, neglected, sexually, physically, all of that for years and you have a mental illness on top of it… does not excuse the viciousness of the crime… but shouldn't that be taken into consideration when you're deciding between life and death?”
    — Amy Robach (12:37)

5. Comparisons and Legal Outcomes for Accomplices

• Pike’s boyfriend, also a participant, was sentenced to life with parole eligibility and recently went up for parole. The other accomplice got probation after testifying.

• Disparity in sentences among the three has sparked debate over fairness and justice.

  • Notable quote:
    “She says there is no excuse for what I did… if I deserve to die for a crime committed by three people.”
    — Amy Robach [reading Pike’s letter] (21:08)

6. Victim’s Family and the Role of Mercy

• The mother of Colleen Slemmer adamantly supports Pike's execution for closure, expressing prolonged pain and the need to “relieve my daughter.”

• The hosts reflect on the tension between justice, retribution, and the human capacity for mercy and forgiveness.

  • Notable quote (from Slemmer’s mother):
    “There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Colleen… I just want Krista down so I can end it… so she finally can be resting.”
    — Quoted by Amy Robach (17:00)

• Hosts’ Reflection:

  • Amy and TJ both admit they personally couldn't serve on a death penalty jury, regardless of gender.
  • TJ: “For us, going through the process of killing somebody just feels barbaric no matter what that crime happens to be.” (08:16)
  • Amy: “Would have zero problem sending someone to prison for the rest of their lives... Just couldn't vote to execute.” (08:41)
  • TJ: “We don't seem like a merciful country, quite frankly.” (26:14)

7. Redemption, Rehabilitation, and Pike’s Own Words

• Pike has expressed remorse and responsibility in recent statements—one via a supporter-run website and another in a letter to The Tennessean.

  • Website statement (21:08):
    “There is no excuse for what I did. I take full responsibility for my actions and regret everything that happened that night. I only want my situation to be looked at… through the eyes of logic instead of anger and answer the question of if I deserve to die for a crime committed by three people.”

  • From her letter to The Tennessean (22:32):
    “Think back to the worst mistake you made as a reckless teenager. Well mine happened to be huge, unforgettable and ruined countless lives… It sickens me now to think that someone as loving and as compassionate as myself had the ability to commit such a crime.”

• Host’s Reflection:

  • Amy posits that those on death row may still have value to offer others, whether as a cautionary tale or in bringing meaning to their lives through redemption.

8. Prior Cases & Broader Death Row Context

• Only 48 women are currently on death row nationally compared to 2,100 men.

• Of women sentenced to death for a crime committed at 18, since 1976: one was exonerated, one had her sentence commuted, and one is in a moratorium state. Pike is the only one currently facing execution.

  • “Out of 18 year old women who committed crimes, there's only one right now who is eligible to be killed… She's the only one.” — TJ Holmes (27:33)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the rarity of Pike’s case:
  “Tennessee has not executed a woman in some 200 years. And Krista Gale Pike is fighting to not be the next.” (02:52, TJ Holmes)

• On gender and punishment:
  “We have an aversion as a country, as a society in punishing women for crimes because we think of them as mothers. We wish for the best, we hope for the best. We don't want it to be true and we don't want them to be monstrous.” (05:05–06:01, Amy Robach & TJ Holmes)

• Personal juror stance:
  “Full disclosure here, because I am against the Death penalty. I wouldn't be able to send anybody to death row, no matter who they are.” (07:44, Amy Robach)

• On the sanctity of life and legal snark:
  “We wish Pike's commitment to the sanctity of life had arrived in time to save Colleen Slemmer.” (15:22, State's legal response via Amy Robach)

• On mercy in justice:
  “Mercy… is not something we have a high tolerance for these days. You did what you did. But I am not going to be vengeful. I am not going to say you deserve the same.” (25:19, TJ Holmes)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:52] – Overview of Pike’s execution date and current lawsuit
• [09:27] – Description of Pike’s crime
• [13:38] – Legal arguments (age, mental illness, trauma)
• [15:22] – State’s response to lawsuit and victim’s family wishes
• [17:00] – Colleen Slemmer’s mother’s statement
• [21:08] – Pike's personal statement via supporter website
• [22:32] – Pike’s remorse, letter to The Tennessean
• [27:33] – Comparative death row statistics for women

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Tone and Language

The episode is marked by thoughtful, sometimes emotional exploration, blending legal analysis with empathy and moral questioning. Both Amy Robach and TJ Holmes weave in personal perspectives, maintaining a respectful and sober tone even when discussing graphic crime details or contentious issues like the death penalty. The discussion acknowledges the complexity of justice, societal biases, and the difficult task of balancing retribution and mercy.

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Transcript

[Amy Robach]

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[TJ Holmes]

Hey there, folks. The state of Tennessee has not executed a woman in some 200 years. And Krista Gale pike is fighting to not be the next. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ presents. Rogue. This is a story that got a lot of headlines at the end of last year because there was a date put on the books for an execution. A rare execution of a woman in Tennessee.

[Amy Robach]

That's right. She was set. I say is set. There is not a was is set to be executed on September 30th of this year. But Christa pike has now filed a lawsuit to stop her execution. She says that executing her would violate her constitutional rights and her religious beliefs. We'll get into exactly how she's saying. An execution would do both of those things to her. It's interesting. It's creative.

[TJ Holmes]

It's creative. You just said. Because my next question to you, we, we just, we happen to cover a lot of executions in Rome. We see this thing fighting, fighting, fighting to stay alive.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, attorneys will come up with all sorts of different reasons as to why their client shouldn't die, whether it they go back to the trial and find reason why they didn't get a fair shake, or they'll go and try and find reasons why their client is not mentally stable enough to face an execution. But this woman's attorneys are claiming she has a condition and she has a religious belief that would preclude her from being executed.

[TJ Holmes]

Look, we've come up and we, I say we've come up. They, a lot of attorneys have come up with all kinds of ideas for how to save their client. We don't see necessarily robes, it work that often, but sometimes it delays the process or they go through the process. This is. And it should be robes. I don't know. Do people feel any differently in the country when we talk about execution and people have their opinions about whether we should have it or should not have it. But do we feel any differently when it comes to executing a woman?

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely, we do.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. There is something about even sending a woman to prison for the rest of their lives. We just heard a jury, this is so interesting. A juror, I should say, speak out after the last trial of Corey Richards. And she said, we sat there in that jury room and we all came into it thinking she was guilty. But we all started talking about how Possibly she might not be because the idea of sending a mother to prison for the rest of her life, the idea of taking. Taking a mother away from her children for the rest of their lives was very. It was very present in the room when they were trying to come to the conclusion. So, yes, I do think we have an aversion as a country, as a society in punishing women for crimes because we think of them as mothers. We think of them as people who others count on. And we try not. We try to. We wish for the best, we hope for the best. We don't want it to be true

[TJ Holmes]

and we don't want them to be monstrous.

[Amy Robach]

Exactly.

[TJ Holmes]

We. It just doesn't work. These are okay not to label women, but yes, we don't see. We see them as nurturers, like you said, as. So when stories. And we have seen plenty robes of mothers in the country, famous stories of mothers killing their children. They're shocking. We just can't.

[Amy Robach]

It goes against nature.

[TJ Holmes]

It doesn't make sense. So here we are. I don't know. It's an interesting thing to consider. There are possibly people out there who are, yes, I'm for the death penalty, but only as applies to men. Right. Is that really. Do we really feel that differently about it? And if there was a question about execution and it just had to do with women, would we be still in favor of it the way we are as a country? The numbers go back and forth, the people who are in favor of the death penalty. But I just. I'm just thinking about that because we don't do it often. Since 1976, only 18 women have been executed in this country. That's 1% of the. However many that have been executed in that time.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, I mean, doesn't happen at all. No, it doesn't happen very often. And look, I think it's because also women are not as likely to be murderers as men, just period, in general, statistically speaking. So, yes, of course you're gonna have fewer women sentenced to death, but yes, we do.

[TJ Holmes]

The numbers there, though, have to do with the discrepancy of how many who end up on trial for murder, how many of them, the percentage of them who don't get the death penalty, that if they were a man, they might.

[Amy Robach]

Oh, yeah, no, that. That makes sense. That does make sense. That does make sense. So, yes, I do think that.

[TJ Holmes]

Would you be less likely to vote death penalty for a woman?

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, I wouldn't be able to be on a jury. Full disclosure here, because I am against the Death penalty. I wouldn't be able to send anybody

[Bowen Yang]

to death row, no matter who they are.

[Amy Robach]

Correct. That's just where I am personally. So I would have to make that known the moment I was being questioned as a juror. And they'd say thank you. And next. Because I just, I wouldn't be able

[TJ Holmes]

to say that the defense would.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[TJ Holmes]

The state was, we want her.

[Amy Robach]

No. So I, I am somebody who, who would not be able to be on that jury. I couldn't sleep at night either way. How about you?

[TJ Holmes]

I, yeah, we've talked about it. Just not a fan of this ceremony, if you will. For us, going through the process of killing somebody just feels barbaric no matter what that crime happens to be. And there's been some horrific, horrific crimes to where I would say if that family member went and killed that person and I was on the jury, I would do a whole.

[Amy Robach]

Agreed with you.

[TJ Holmes]

A time to kill thing where, nope, not guilty.

[Amy Robach]

I, I absolutely, I, I agree with that sentiment. And by the way, would have zero problem sending someone to prison for the rest of their lives to never see the light of day again. No problem there. Just couldn't vote to execute.

[TJ Holmes]

I was just curious as we were talking about if it's different with a man or woman. No, it's no different for us necessarily. But only 18 women. So, Rose. Yes, this will make headlines. Krista Gayle pike, how will the country feel? Will there be a different conversation leading up to this execution about the death penalty? And there are some actually robe. There are. She has as a part of her story in her case, if you not the crime, but her life leading up to the crime to where you would go, wow, you would have a, you got to take a beat to go, man, this person had it bad.

[Amy Robach]

It's true. And look, there are some, first of all, we want to point out this is not an issue or not a case of guilt or innocence. She absolutely admits to having done this now and is actually we're going to get into, we are going to hear directly from her. I have a couple of quotes from her that are very powerful actually about where she is now in her process of attrition and culpability. It is, it's something to consider when you're hearing this case. But her crime is heinous. This happened 30 years ago, actually more than 30 years ago, January 12, 1995. But here's the deal. She was just 18 years old. I say just 18 years old, but when you hear what she did, it's tough to Reconcile. She tortured before she murdered a 19 year old girl. Her name was Colleen Slemmer. Her romantic rival, or someone she considered to be her romantic rival. She thought this girl had her sights on her boyfriend. So she convinces her boyfriend, who's 17 years old and a friend to lure this young woman, this Colleen Slemmer, into the woods. And when they get her into the woods, she apparently even bragged about this later that she cut Slimmer's throat six times with a box cutter, cut her back with a meat cleaver, carved a pentagram into her chest and then continued even as Slemmer was begging her to please, please stop. And eventually she killed her by throwing a large chunk of asphalt at her head, which they believe was the fatal blow. And then get this. She has a part of her skull that she takes with her as almost a trophy and. And shows to folks.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay. A lot of people will hear those details and say oh yeah, this woman doesn't deserve to live. And that's understandable. That's heinous. There is no question there at all. Robes. But some of the. And you've looked into and got into. She had a very tough. And some of the. Her attorneys and others who are advocating for her to not be on death row. She had a history. Robes. Of just a horrific upbringing, mental illness.

[Bowen Yang]

She was.

[TJ Holmes]

She had problems. This young lady had problems. Now this is not excuse she made the choices she made. But this is part of the argument that some are putting out. This is before she's making her legal arguments, but just from a. Or a sympathetic standpoint. And 18, we don't that often sentence people to death who are 18, 19, 20 years old.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. In fact that exact range of age. I was surprised just looked it up. The state of Tennessee in modern history has not executed or one person, male or female, who committed their crime at the age of 18, 19 or 20. So that is significant. Maybe even more so than the fact that they haven't executed a woman in 200 years. They haven't executed anybody who committed a crime that young.

[TJ Holmes]

That's interesting. I mean you think about 18 year old. Yes, think about. We got a 13 year old and a 19 year old in the house essentially.

[Amy Robach]

And their babies.

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[TJ Holmes]

They are absolutely children. D. Your 19 year old is. Is. She's a. At least as a child. I know she's a. She's a.

[Amy Robach]

No, she is a child. And look, when you think about a child who has been abused, neglected, sexually, physically, all of that for years and you have a mental illness on Top of it. And you're 18. And I think she had just turned 18. Her boyfriend was 17. So these. These were kids. And again, does not excuse the viciousness of the crime. But you'll hear from her and where she is now, because when you're that young, it's not that you're not responsible, but shouldn't that be taken into consideration when you're deciding between life and death?

[TJ Holmes]

Well, I guess the jury did at the time. Right. This is what our system allows, and this is what justice looks like, and these are the rules in that regard. Robes, I mean, do. Have we learned more since she was convicted? Have we done more research? Have we become, frankly, a little more averse to the death penalty? Have we become, you know, that is part of.

[Amy Robach]

That is part of her attorney's argument. Argument. There are in this lawsuit, among the things they say. You literally nailed it.

[TJ Holmes]

Sorry, I got ahead.

[Amy Robach]

No, you nailed it. Her attorneys are arguing that if she were tried today, she would not have been sentenced to death because of her age, her mental illness at the time of the murder and her history of sexual abuse as a young child, period. A jury would not have convicted her to death. That she would have been convicted, but not to death. And in terms of her lawsuit, her there. Her attorneys are saying lethal injection method violates her religious beliefs and her constitutional right because she says her execution could cause her unnecessary pain and added terror and suffering, which is a violation of the Constitution, which protects everyone against cruel and unusual punishment. They claim she has a condition, okay. It's called thrombocytosis, and it can lead to unusual bleeding. And they say death by drowning in one's own blood. So because of this condition and the lethal injection, they could. Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

Be problematic.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

Do they know for sure? I mean, do they know she's going to suffer?

[Amy Robach]

They say could. That is the word they used. And then they also said, okay, so. And that's specific to lethal injection. Then they're saying she can't request the only other approved method of dying because in the state of Tennessee, because it would violate her Buddhist beliefs. Because her Buddhist beliefs teach her that she is not allowed to participate in any process that would lead to her own death. So she can't choose the method of execution because that would violate her Buddhist beliefs. And by the way, the only other method is electrocution, but she can't even make that pivot, she claims, because it would violate her religious beliefs. That is the foundation of their lawsuit.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, so they have two basis for it, right?

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, so her medical condition and her religious belief should not allow this to go forward.

[Amy Robach]

Correct.

[TJ Holmes]

I don't know what chance she has here, but like we said, she is actually doing this a lot. A lot farther out from her execution than a lot of inmates do.

[Amy Robach]

That's true.

[TJ Holmes]

They start scrambling last second.

[Amy Robach]

So, yes, that is a very good point. They are laying the foundation now because if this doesn't work, I'm sure they'll try something else and then something else. But the state's response, which they just put into evidence here, they say, yeah, they have not shown in any way that lethal injection would present an unconstitutional risk to her. And then they said the 8th Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death and that some risk of pain is inherent in any method of execution, no matter how humane. And they added, for a little fun, we wish Pike's commitment to the sanctity of life had arrived in time to save Colleen Slemmer. That shows you where they stand on her lawsuit.

[TJ Holmes]

How did you notice, like, legal briefings and stuff are getting snarkier.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, that's a really good point. Yes. So, yes, the state added a little snarky comment at the end. And we should point out, because we always talk about what the victim's family wants. Colleen Slemmer's mom desperately wants pike to die. Like, wants her to die. I'm going to give you the quote that she gave.

[TJ Holmes]

And the mom at this point has to be how old? This was so long.

[Amy Robach]

Well, this was 30 years ago.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, my God. Goodness.

[Amy Robach]

The woman.

[TJ Holmes]

Maybe 6,070s at least.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, at least. She said there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Colleen or how she died and how rough it was. I just want Krista down so I can end it. Relieve my daughter so she finally can be resting. There is no question Colleen Slummer's mom wants. Wants Krista to die.

[TJ Holmes]

That.

[Amy Robach]

And that matters.

[TJ Holmes]

Weight.

[Amy Robach]

I mean, it doesn't matter legally, necessarily, but I do think it matters just to know that that is the wish of the victim.

[TJ Holmes]

You know, it matters.

[Amy Robach]

The victim's family.

[TJ Holmes]

I know you said legally it might not have some bearing, but it'll have a bearing if it came down to the governor deciding to sign or not sign or commute or whatever the sentence might be.

[Amy Robach]

You make a very good point.

[TJ Holmes]

She's letting her view be known. And we have. Have we not seen some governors take into consideration here in the past year.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

And actually go with the family's witches. So that's. That's significant.

[Amy Robach]

That's pretty powerful. Also powerful. When we come back, we're going to tell you what Christa pike has had to say now about her crime. It's it's a very, very I even given all the horrific details of what this woman is convicted of and has admitted to, hearing where she is now might soften your stance on what you think should happen to her come September.

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[Amy Robach]

Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ Presents where we are talking about the execution of Christa Gail Pike. She is 50 years old. She is set to be executed September 30th for a crime she committed 30 years ago. A vicious killing of a romantic rival. She was 18 at the time of the murder. Her victim was 19. And here is what Christa pike has said one in a website that has been created by her supporter, she this was her statement that is posted on her website by folks who don't want to see her die. She says there is no excuse for what I did. I take full responsibility for my actions and regret everything that happened that night. I only want my situation to be looked at now through the eyes of logic instead of anger and answer the question of if I deserve to die for a crime committed by three people. She says this because her boyfriend got life in prison and the other friend who was there testified and was given, you know, probation.

[Sophia Bush]

The.

[TJ Holmes]

The boyfriend by the way, this just happened. He was eligible for parole last year. He ain't getting out. I mean it's incredible to see she has an execution date set up at the same time the other guy was eligible to get the hell out of prison.

[Amy Robach]

Isn't that wild? That's. But she was the one. The who. Who did.

[TJ Holmes]

She was. Yes.

[Amy Robach]

The vicious acts they stood by. He lured her and look in a lot of states that wouldn't matter. If you're a part of a crime and it and someone dies in the act of that crime, you are still on the hook for murder. So. But that. So that was that. Not that emotional, not that powerful. But the letter she wrote to the Tennessee and is what moved me. She said think back to the worst mistake you made as a reckless teenager. Well mine happened to be huge, unforgettable and ruined countless lives. I was a mentally ill 18 year old kid. It took me numerous years to even Realize the gravity of what I'd done and even more to accept how many lives I affected. I took the life of someone's child, sister, friend. It sickens me now to think that someone as loving and as compassionate as myself had the ability to commit such a crime.

[TJ Holmes]

I hear you and you probes. I. I will listen to both sides who read that and say you are full of it. You've had time. You did the crime, this was the punishment and justice has to be carried out. I will listen to somebody else who said all of that is correct. And no matter if you think she's just doing this to save her butt or not as a decent human and just some part pulls at your heartstring to have some grace or some sympathy for even a person capable of pulling off as heinous of a crime. Is that robes? It is very difficult to. I mean, Jesus did it, I guess. Right. So it was pretty difficult to do. But to be forgiving of someone in the face of the worst type of crime. It asks a lot of a human being, Rose. And certainly asks even more once you hear the statement of her mother. Of the victims.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, you. You can never put yourself in her shoes. And I could never ever pass judgment on how she feels or what she want, wants in terms of justice for her daughter and for the pain, the life of pain that she has had to endure missing her daughter. I totally get that. I think it's interesting though, when we've seen especially folks on death row actually have something of value to add. Maybe it's to other inmates, maybe it's to the lives of family members who are on the other side who they can show as a cautionary tale. But at least offer some wisdom or some guidance to prevent other people from going down that path. That's the other side of it. Is there value? Is there something they can still contribute? Is should they be given the opportunity of redemption and grace and to be able to. To rehabilitate who they are and what they believe and who they stood for. What they stood for.

[TJ Holmes]

You said redemption and grace. I guess for me and for a lot of people that might be a higher bar. I'm just talking mercy.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[TJ Holmes]

And that's not seem to be something we have a high tolerance for these days. Rope. Just mercy. You did what you did. But I am not going to be vengeful. I am not going to say you deserve the same. I am going to grant mercy. And Rome we've. I know it's not nothing to do with war and Things we're seeing. But we, we have a mindset or an attitude or coming from the highest ranks in this country that get a lot of attention. No mercy. Like making a game or a joke out of killing people that we think are bad people. It's a game. The boats, I can see the boats. All those hexa kept posting those videos exploding, blowing these guys out of the water like it's fun, like it's a video game. And so we don't seem like a merciful country, quite frankly.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[TJ Holmes]

When you say that, asking for robes, can we extend that to anybody these days? Just mercy.

[Amy Robach]

It doesn't look like that's going to happen for pike and certainly the lawsuit will follow it. But the state's response seemed swift and fairly sound actually in terms of what she is claiming and what they are stating. And of course we will follow any ruling that may come on this. But she's got some time. There'll be other appeals, most certainly before September 30th. And this is the, the state of Tennessee. Not sure what their track record is on granting clemency to folks, but it does happen. This is a pretty vicious crime. I think her age, the fact that she was 18, the fact that she was mentally ill and that has been diagnosed. Don't know if that would be of consideration by this governor, but she would be the 19th woman executed in modern US history. This is also interesting, I didn't realize this. There are 48 female death row inmates in the US right now still awaiting getting that execution date. Just for comparison's sake, men. There are about 2100 men on death row right now in this country and 48 women on death row.

[TJ Holmes]

It's a very low percentage. And you talked of the other others, women who have been, who have gotten the death penalty for a crime they committed at 18. There are, there have been. She's the fourth. One of them was exonerated, one of them was commuted and the other one is in California where there's a moratorium on executions. So essentially what you're talking about, 18 year old women who committed crimes, there's only one right now who is eligible to be killed in that group since 1976. She's the only one. Wow. She's the only one. One got cleared, one got commuted and one is in California. She's the only one right now who has been convicted as a woman at 18 who set to die. Wow. She's the only one.

[Amy Robach]

All right, well we will of course follow this case through again. Her execution date, 9-30-2026 and with that everyone, we appreciate you listening to us as always. I'm Amy Robach. On behalf of TJ Holmes, we will talk to you soon.

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