Who she was
Colleen Slemmer was born on September 20, 1975, and grew up in Orange Park, a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida[1]. Her mother, May Martinez, remembers a "sweet, helpful child" who helped paint her school building and volunteered at Special Olympics competitions[1].
She could take a computer apart and put it back together. Her grandfather suggested the Knoxville Job Corps because it offered computer courses, and she often wore a T-shirt that read "Computer Geek"[1]. Her mother later turned that shirt into a teddy bear she still keeps[2]. She loved roller skating and playing old games with her family[3].
She would have turned 51 in September 2026[4].
Her family's wait
For years Tennessee kept a fragment of Colleen's skull as evidence. Her mother said she received it back only after 16 years of letters and fighting[5]. The family eventually left town because of the memories[2].
Supporters raised money so May and Raul Martinez could travel to Nashville for the September 30 execution[1]. They drove 600 miles[2].
In their words
"I think about Colleen every day, every minute, every year. She's always on my mind."May Martinez[1]
"It's never about the victims. It's like Colleen was never there."May Martinez[3]
Martinez told the Nashville Banner she hoped "that Colleen can always be remembered as the sweet little girl that she was"[4]. This page exists for that reason.
Sources for this page
- The Tennessean: Remembering Colleen Slemmer, the teenager killed by Christa Pike
- Nashville Banner: Christa Pike survives botched lethal injection attempt
- USA Today: Tennessee governor orders investigation into failed Christa Pike execution
- The Intercept: The 'Satanic Panic' made her a true-crime obsession. The truth is more haunting.
- Wikipedia: Christa Pike (court record summary)