Christa Pike Was Already on Death Row When Another Violent Crime Led to a Second Conviction

Most people know Christa Pike for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

But years after receiving her death sentence, Pike became involved in another violent crime that resulted in a separate conviction.

On August 24, 2001, a fire-related evacuation at the Tennessee Prison for Women brought three inmates into the same recreation area.

They were Christa Pike, Patricia Jones and Natasha Cornett.

According to court records, an argument broke out between Jones and Cornett. Pike then intervened, using a heavy shoelace or bootlace to strangle Jones until she lost consciousness.

Correctional officers intervened, preventing the confrontation from continuing.

Jones survived.

Pike later argued that she had acted to protect Cornett. Prosecutors, however, maintained that the attack was a deliberate attempt to kill Jones.

The case eventually went before a Davidson County jury.

Pike was convicted of attempted first-degree premeditated murder and sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison.

That sentence was ordered to run concurrently with her existing death sentence.

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals subsequently upheld the conviction.

The distinction matters.

Pike’s death sentence originated from the murder of Colleen Slemmer. Her second conviction involved a different victim, a different incident and a separate criminal proceeding.

As renewed attention surrounds Pike following Tennessee’s failed execution attempt in September 2026, this lesser-known chapter remains part of her documented criminal history.

My take: What makes this second conviction particularly significant is that it happened while Pike was already serving a death sentence. Discussions about her childhood, rehabilitation and decades behind bars are important, but a complete account of her history must also acknowledge Patricia Jones, who survived a serious attack inside prison.