July 16, 2004

KNOXVILLE (AP) -- Convicted murderer Christa Gail Pike won't be able to resume appeals of her death sentence.

That's the ruling of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, which upheld a judge's decision in the case.

The 28-year-old Pike was convicted and sentenced to die for the 1995 murder of fellow Job Corps Training Center student Colleen Slemmer on the University of Tennessee's Agricultural campus.

In June 2002, Pike successfully petitioned to drop her appeal.

A Knox County Criminal Court judge set an August 19th execution date, but Pike went back to court saying she had changed her mind and wanted to resume her appeal.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals stayed her execution and sent the case back to Leibowitz. But in February 2003, Leibowitz denied Pike's request.

In a ruling released Friday, a three-judge panel said death row inmates can drop their appeals if they are competent when they make that decision. They ruled Pike was competent.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.