Christa Pike's Victim's Mom 'Did Not Take Her Eyes Off' of Convicted Killer at Botched Execution
Colleen Slemmer's family spoke out following Christa Pike's botched execution.
Oct. 2 2026, Published 10:09 a.m. ET
The mother and stepfather of Christa Pike's murder victim, Colleen Slemmer, have spoken out about what it was like to watch the convicted killer's botched execution, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On September 30, after decades on death row, Tennessee attempted to put Pike to death, but after two lethal injections, she was still alive.
A Botched Execution
Slemmer's mother and stepfather were unhappy over Pike's botched execution.
“It was a complete waste of time. I don’t know. It sounds cruel, but how do you botch up killing somebody?” Raul Martinez, Colleen’s stepfather, asked. “It’s unheard of.”
Colleen’s mother, May Martinez, expressed similar sentiments in a recent interview, claiming that she still hopes to see Pike “dead.”
Reflecting on watching the would-be execution, May's thoughts were on her late daughter.
“I stood in front of that window, and I watched her very, very carefully. I did not take my eyes off of her," she said. "I wanted her to remember who Colleen was and what they’ve done and never forget that thought, no matter where she goes."
Witness Accounts
Witnesses described the botched execution.
Witnesses to the failed procedure described seeing Pike “snoring” after she was given the drugs. At one point, she said she felt a burning sensation and that her vein was about to burst, and asked the doctor if that was normal.
She was later taken to the hospital.
Following the execution attempt, Pike’s attorneys filed an emergency stay, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee halted all executions in the state until 2027.
“Carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the State’s most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective,” Lee wrote in a statement to the Associated Press.
The governor has ordered an investigation into the failed execution, so it can be determined what went wrong.
Pike’s Condition
Pike is in critical condition.
As of October 1, Pike was in critical condition and unable to communicate, her lawyers have shared. Some experts have also suggested that she likely has brain damage from the pentobarbital she was given.
But still, Slemmer’s killer is undeniably alive – a fact that grieves her mother.
“She has no remorse. She’s never had any remorse in 31 years,” May said. “We can't get justice for my daughter.”
Colleen’s Niece Speaks Out
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Colleen's niece said she wished she could've met her aunt.
Slemmer's parents aren’t the only family members who have spoken out. Her niece, Morgan Sealy, who was born years after her aunt’s murder, spoke to Fox News 17 about her frustrations.
“I talked to (May) this morning, and she was crying,” Sealy revealed. “She went out there with high hopes of getting justice for my aunt.”
Sealy never met Slemmer in person, but she said that throughout her childhood she heard many stories about her aunt.
The 23-year-old said that her own mom, Colleen’s sister, grieved her loss until she died in 2021.
“I wish I could have met her,” Sealy added.
