A Love to Die For
Patricia Springer
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1995 · Knoxville, Tennessee
Christa Pike & Colleen Slemmer
Teen & school
Christa Pike was convicted of the January 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student in Knoxville, Tennessee. Slemmer was lured to the University of Tennessee agricultural campus and killed. Pike received a death sentence in 1996; the case is covered in books, television episodes, podcasts and public court records.
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The Story
When1995
WhereKnoxville, Tennessee
In this collection39 resources
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Snapped: Killer Couples — Christa Pike & Tadaryl Shipp
Oxygen True Crime · Season 3, Episode 1 · Listed air date 2014-06-08
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Horror Wine & Crime — Christa Pike
Apple Podcasts
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Where are they now?
1 itemsAbout these sources
Dated updates, not live custody records. Check the source date before treating information as current.
The Washington Post · October 10, 2026
Medical care update
Pike left hospital and continues receiving medical care in custody.
Entry updated:
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Nicknames & media names
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Bonnie’s Blog of Crime
Colleen Slemmer: case reporting and resources
A resource post collects reporting and case links concerning Colleen Slemmer’s murder.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsPatricia Springer
A Love to Die For
A nonfiction account of the murder of Colleen Slemmer and the case against Christa Pike. Published by Pinnacle Books. Check the edition and availability with the seller.
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
4 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · title/episode listing
Killer Kids — Southern Belle from Hell & My Best Friend’s Girl
Program or episode reference. This page identifies the title; it is not a confirmed full-episode watch link.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
Deadly Women — Lethal Vengeance (2009)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Listed release: 2009. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Investigation Discovery · Season 2, Episode 9 · Listed air date 2024-05-20
Mean Girl Murders — She-Devil
IMDb episode reference connected to the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Listed release: 2024. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Includes coverage of Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oxygen True Crime · Season 3, Episode 1 · Listed air date 2014-06-08
Snapped: Killer Couples — Christa Pike & Tadaryl Shipp
Includes coverage of Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
Check Audio Formats For This Book
These books are in this case’s collection. An audiobook version has not been verified for the listings below.
A Love to Die For
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkPatricia Springer
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Horror Wine & Crime — Christa Pike
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Southern Fried True Crime
16: The Depravity of Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released March 14, 2018. About 51 minutes.
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The Criminal Makeup
America's Youngest Woman EVER on Death Row – The Toxic Teen Love Triangle of Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released January 25, 2024. About 62 minutes.
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Women and Crime
Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released July 25, 2023. About 44 minutes.
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This Feels Criminal: A True Crime Podcast (Formerly Killer Queens)
Christa Pike- Youngest Woman on Death Row in TN
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released January 7, 2025. About 41 minutes.
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Once Upon A Crime
Dead Woman Walking: Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released May 1, 2023. About 44 minutes.
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Show 9 more podcasts
This Is Monsters
Nature vs Nurture : Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released April 29, 2024. About 42 minutes.
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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan: Jealousy, Murder, Death Sentence - The Conviction of Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released March 17, 2024. About 40 minutes.
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True Crime All The Time
The Murder of Colleen Slemmer
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released August 26, 2019. About 74 minutes.
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Lights Out
Her Heinous Crime Put Her On Death Row At 18 Years Old
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released May 11, 2026. About 74 minutes.
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Unforbidden Truth
Interview with Christa Pike Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released October 6, 2020. About 87 minutes.
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Unspeakable: A True Crime Podcast By Kelly Jennings
The Knoxville Nightmare: Christa Pike & The Murder of Coleen Slemmer
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released January 21, 2026. About 44 minutes.
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Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan
Jealousy, Murder, Death Sentence: The Conviction of Christa Pike
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released March 7, 2024. About 40 minutes.
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CrimeChat with Nat and Kat
Episode 130: Christa Pike - The Devil Made Her Do It
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released May 10, 2025. About 68 minutes.
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Legally Brunette
Legally Brunette: End of the Month Recap - Lori Hacking, Christa Pike & Ian Diaz
Podcast coverage of the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Released September 2, 2026. About 18 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
0 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
2 itemsCBS News · 2026-10-08
Pike’s recovery after failed execution
Attorneys report recovery after Tennessee’s failed execution attempt.
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theguardian.com
Reporting on Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel · 1996-03-31 · Page 1
Pike sentenced for Colleen Slemmer's murder
The newspaper reports the penalty verdict against Christa Pike following the killing of fellow Job Corps participant Colleen Slemmer.
Historical sentencing report; its projected execution date is not a current schedule. Continued on another page.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel · 1995-01-15 · Page 1
Three teenagers charged in Slemmer killing
An early report describes the discovery of Colleen Slemmer's body and the charges against three Job Corps residents.
Police allegations at the charging stage; includes disturbing details and continues on another page.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
ABC News Good Morning America : WMAR : March 22, 2012 7:00am-9:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Christa Pike. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
3 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
State v. Pike — Colleen Slemmer murder appeal
The Tennessee Supreme Court’s review of Christa Pike’s conviction and sentence for Colleen Slemmer’s murder.
- Court / agency
- Tennessee Supreme Court
- Document date
- October 5, 1998
- Case / citation
- 03S01-9712-CR-00147
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Court document
Christa Gail Pike v. Jonathan Skrmetti et al. — 2026 docket
Official appellate docket M2026-00667-SC-UNK-CV, with linked court filings and orders. Read each document’s date; a docket entry is not itself a final ruling on every claim.
Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
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Court document
Pike v. Freeman — federal habeas opinion
Public federal court opinion addressing Pike’s habeas petition, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office. Contains detailed descriptions of violence.
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee · GovInfo
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
9 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
FilmRise True Crime
Youngest Woman on Death Row: Christa Pike | World’s Most Evil Prisoners
Video from FilmRise True Crime covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 45:23.
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Danielle Kirsty
America’s Youngest Woman ЕVЕR on Dеаth Row - The Тоxic Teen Love Triangle of Christa Pike
Video from Danielle Kirsty covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 1:01:49.
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Absolute Crime
She Kept a Piece of the Victim’s Skull: Why Christa Pike is the Most Evil Woman in Prison
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 47:24.
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WKRN News 2
Christa Pike's attorneys seek execution via hanging
Video from WKRN News 2 covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 2:34.
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Emma Kenny
THE YOUNGEST WOMAN TO BE PUT ON DEATH ROW - THE DISTURBING CASE OF CHRISTA PIKE
Video from Emma Kenny covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 1:53:19.
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Investigation Discovery
Teen Satanist's Jealousy Escalates to Murder | Mean Girl Murders | ID
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 18:10.
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Show 3 more social media
YouTube Movies & TV
World's Most Evil Prisoners
Video from YouTube Movies & TV covering the Colleen Slemmer & Christa Pike case. Length: 45:23.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Southern Fried True Crime — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “16: The Depravity of Christa Pike.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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TikTok · Creator channel
Lights Out — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Her Heinous Crime Put Her On Death Row At 18 Years Old.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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