May Martinez, a mother from Florida, has expressed her heartbreak and frustration following a botched execution of Christa Pike, the woman convicted of killing her daughter, Colleen Slemmer, in 1995. This agonising chapter in May’s life began over 31 years ago, and she had hoped to witness the execution as a form of closure.
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On September 30, May and her husband, Raul, made the long journey to Nashville, Tennessee, intending to finally confront the woman responsible for their daughter’s death. They arrived at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution at 8:30 a.m. and were ushered into a viewing room, where they would remain for an exhausting 12 hours. The execution, initially scheduled for 10 a.m., was delayed due to legal challenges presented by Pike’s lawyers, who sought an emergency stay.
As night fell, the couple received the news they had long awaited. “Finally, at about 6:30 p.m., quarter to 7, they said, ‘It’s a go,'” Raul recounted. However, their anticipation soon turned to dismay as the medical staff attempted, and failed, to administer the lethal injection of pentobarbital not once, but twice.
In the aftermath of the botched execution, the Martinez couple was moved to another room, where they were left waiting for an hour for the commissioner to discuss the situation. May described her frustration, saying that the commissioner could offer little information apart from the fact that Pike had been taken to hospital, leaving them in limbo regarding her condition and the future of the execution.
Currently, Pike remains in critical condition in hospital and is not expected to face execution for at least another year. This delay follows an order from Governor Bill Lee, who has paused executions in the state to review existing protocols and standards related to lethal injection procedures.
Reflecting on her daughter, 19-year-old Colleen, May has shared poignant memories. Colleen moved to Tennessee in 1994 to join a Job Corps programme, aspiring to work in computer science and with a passion for helping children with autism and disabilities. Tragically, Colleen’s life was cut short on January 12, 1995, when Christa Pike, along with her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, murdered her with a box cutter. The brutality of the crime, which included disturbing elements such as a pentagram carved into Colleen’s chest, haunts May to this day.
In a tragic twist of fate, May had spoken to her daughter shortly before the murder but ended the call due to a poor signal. “She just said, ‘Mom, I don’t feel good and they’re picking on me,'” May recounted, explaining her frustration at not being able to keep the conversation going. When she attempted to call back later that evening, it was too late; Colleen was already gone.
As she journeyed home with Raul after the execution experience, May expressed feelings of despair. At one point, she admitted to desiring the role of executioner herself, reflecting, “If I could have gotten in that room, I would have taken the box cutter and cut her up like she did Colleen and let her feel the pain.” Such raw emotions underline the complexity of grief and the desire for justice that many bereaved parents feel.
However, the botched execution has left May questioning whether she will be able to return if another attempt is made on Pike’s life. “The whole thing was supposed to be my justice, but I guess I failed my daughter,” she lamented, revealing the weight of her perceived inadequacy in the pursuit of justice for Colleen.
With Pike’s fate still uncertain, May Martinez stands at a crossroads, grappling with unresolved grief and a longing for closure. The execution attempt, she believed, would signal the end of a painful chapter, but for now, the wait continues.