Mercy for Christa Pike

08/27/2026

Christa Pike was repeatedly sexually abused as a child. Her abuse began as a toddler. Her grandmother’s boyfriend, Ernest Johnson, sexually abused her from before she could walk and talk until kindergarten. He r***d her, threatened her into silence, and subjected her to terrifying abuse.

Between ages 9 and 11, Christa was r***d by a neighbor named Claude Davis, who was a known pe*****le. When Christa told her mother and sister, they didn’t believe her. The r**e left her with a painful infection, and even after Davis was arrested, Christa had to continue living near the man who had r***d her.

At age 17, Christa was r***d again by a stranger who dragged her into the woods. She fought back, striking him with a rock. He was never identified.

The State of Tennessee knows that child r**e is one of the most horrific crimes that leaves a lasting impact on its victims. But instead of showing mercy to a victim of such crimes, it plans to execute one on September 30.

Sign the petition to save Christa at the link in bio.

08/26/2026

Christa Pike’s aunt Carrie remembers visiting Christa’s home when she was very young and discovering the squalor that she was living in. She described the home as consistently filthy, with dirty dishes piled everywhere. As Christa and her sister Alicia got older, Carrie would sometimes bring them to her own home so they could have a meal. She recalled that their mother, Carissa, often spent money on clothing for herself and partying while the girls lacked adequate food and clothing. Christa recalled often being very hungry while living with her mother.

Christa was not properly cared for. She grew up in an environment where the adults who were meant to protect her repeatedly failed her. None of this erases the harm that Christa caused, but it does offer powerful context for how Christa came to be a young woman who participated in a terrible crime.

Share Christa’s story and sign the petition to grant her clemency.

08/25/2026

Christa Pike has been incarcerated for more than 30 years, almost all of which was spent in a tiny cell “the size of a parking space” just like this one.

She built relationships with other women nearby, communicating solely through the pie flaps and helping them get their lives back on track. When this footage was recorded, Christa had only been incarcerated for three years. Today, she is decades older, but the consequences of her sentence have followed her for her entire adult life. One thing is undeniable: she is not the same young woman you see in this video.

Christa has spent decades living with the consequences of her actions; she has been incarcerated, received counseling, and been on medication for bipolar disorder and PTSD from childhood r**e, assault, and neglect. Christa has built a life behind bars, one in which she looks out for other young women, provides them with supplies, and encourages them to take a different path.

Her ex*****on is scheduled for September 30. There is still time to ask Governor Bill Lee to commute Christa Pike’s death sentence to life without parole.

08/24/2026

News Update: 🚨 The doctor involved in Tennessee’s botched ex*****on of Tony Carruthers has confirmed he will oversee Christa Pike’s ex*****on.

During Carruthers’ May ex*****on attempt, medical staff spent over an hour trying to establish IV access before the ex*****on was ultimately halted. Carruthers’ attorneys described hearing him moaning in pain.

Now, Dr. Mark Fowler is set to oversee Christa’s ex*****on on September 30. Christa’s attorneys have raised concerns about her veins and the difficulty of establishing IV access, ultimately questioning whether Tennessee’s ex*****on protocol can be carried out without prolonged or unnecessary suffering.

Tennessee has already seen what can happen when an ex*****on goes wrong. The state should not risk repeating it with Christa Pike. Christa’s ex*****on is scheduled for September 30.

There is still time to choose life without parole. Tell Governor Lee to commute Christa’s sentence.

08/22/2026

“The State clearly doesn’t care about a girl victim of childhood r**es and sexual abuse, and it will be complicit should Christa’s last moments be torturous.” - Stephen Ferrell, Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee

On August 21, the Special Master released his report to the Tennessee Supreme Court following last week’s hearing. While the Special Master found that Christa suffers from PTSD and Bipolar Disorder as a result of the repeated r**es and childhood sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of multiple men, the Special Master rejected her arguments that her ex*****on would violate the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions.

The defense team has until August 28 to file an appeal.

08/21/2026

🚨 40 days until the State of Tennessee executes Christa Pike. 🚨

Share this with 4 friends and urge them to call Governor Lee asking to stop the ex*****on of Christa Pike on September 30 and grant her clemency.

08/19/2026

During the evidentiary hearing for Christa Pike last week, Dr. Bethany Brand testified that being in an unfamiliar environment, with constant surveillance by unfamiliar guards, including during private moments like dressing and using the bathroom, could trigger Christa’s traumatic memories of the sexual abuse and r**e she experienced as a child.

The State of Tennessee acknowledges the profound harm of Christa’s childhood sexual abuse and neglect. Even so, the State intends to proceed with her ex*****on.

Christa needs your help! Sign the petition urging Governor Lee to spare Christa’s life. Link in bio.

08/18/2026

08/17/2026

During Christa Pike’s recent evidentiary hearing, the Attorney General’s office acknowledged that Christa is a victim of childhood sexual abuse and untreated mental illness. That acknowledgment is significant. The State is not disputing Christa’s serious trauma or that her mental health has been impacted by what she endured.

In recent years, the State of Tennessee has acknowledged that child r**e is one of the most horrific crimes that leaves an indelible mark on its victims. It is because of the devastating consequences of this abuse that Tennessee has expanded its death penalty laws to target the perpetrators of child sexual abuse.

Yet, even with the acknowledgment that Christa is a victim of childhood sexual abuse, the State intends to proceed with her ex*****on.

Governor Lee has the authority to grant Christa clemency and commute her sentence to life without parole.

Sign the petition urging Governor Lee to spare Christa’s life. Link in bio.

(Video credit: WVLT News)