1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: It is therefore ordered that you shall be put to 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: death after you know. 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 2: The prescribe by law that you shall be transferred to 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 2: custody for the warning. 5 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: At the Tennessee Christmas. 6 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 3: It took less than two hours for a jury to 7 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 3: sentence twenty year old Krista Pike to death and further, 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 3: the twelfth. 9 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: Day of January nineteen ninety seven, your body shall be 10 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: subjected to shop by. 11 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 4: A sufficient curme to electricity. 12 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 3: My God, January twelfth, nineteen ninety seven, it wasn't just 13 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 3: the day Kristal was marked to die. It was also 14 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 3: the two year anniversary of Colleen Slemmer's death. 15 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 5: Mister tied to the doctor. 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 3: During Christa's trial, there was little doubt that she killed Colleen. 17 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 3: Conviction wasn't the question. The real question was whether Christa 18 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 3: was going to pay for the crime with her life. 19 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 3: In the end, the jury would agree with prosecutors that 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 3: imposing the death penalty would deliver some sense. 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 4: Of justice, not just. 22 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 3: For Colleen's family, but for the community of Knoxville and 23 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 3: for everyone watching, shaking their heads that we live in 24 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 3: a world where things like this happen. But thirty years later, 25 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: Christa is still waiting to die, And for those three decades, 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 3: Christa's advocates had been arguing that it didn't have to 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 3: turn out this way, that her original defense team had 28 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 3: a chance to explain to the jury who Christa was 29 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: and how, at eighteen years old, she had ended up 30 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: in a wooded area of Knoxville. A chunk of concrete 31 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: raised above Colleen's head to explain that murdering a teenage 32 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 3: girl in a vicious rage wasn't a reflection of unresolvable depravity, 33 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 3: but something that emerged from a place of extreme brokenness 34 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 3: and desperation. I'm Sarah J. Levin, and this is Unrestorable, 35 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 3: Season two, Proof of Life, an original podcast from anonymous 36 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 3: content and iHeartRadio. Can you just tell me where we are? 37 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 3: Just where we're saying, yeah, sure. 38 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: We're sitting right now out on the outdoor plaza of 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: the City County Building. That's the main government building for 40 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: Knoxville and Knox County. This has been the center of 41 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: government since the late nineteen seventies. It's kind of ironic 42 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: that you have a building sitting on such a beautiful 43 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: setting because we've got the Tennessee River below us, You've 44 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: got Riverbank it's a beautiful day. 45 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 3: When Beth Carris and I went down to Knoxville in 46 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 3: August twenty twenty four, we met up with John North, 47 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 3: a reporter who covered Krista Pike's trial for the murder 48 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 3: of Colleen Slimmer, it was a steamy, sunny day. 49 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: This is also a building that houses many inmates, because 50 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: in the belly of this building is a jail that 51 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: has I don't know, one hundred and fifty to two 52 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: hundred cells. And this is where, once upon a time, 53 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: the worst of the worst were held while they were 54 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: awaiting trial. 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 3: Is this where Krista and to Daryl would have been 56 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 3: while they were waiting trial? 57 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: All three of the defendants would have been held in 58 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: the belly of this building at some point. 59 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 3: Yes, Christa was charged alongside her boyfriend to Darryl's ship 60 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 3: and another young woman named Shidola Peterson. We're focusing on 61 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 3: Krista because she was the only one who faced death. 62 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: In nineteen ninety five, Tennessee law forbade executing anyone who 63 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 3: is under eighteen at the time they committed their crime. 64 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 3: So even though Christa and to Darryl were both accused 65 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 3: of killing Colleen, the law would hold them to different standards. 66 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 3: At the time of Christa's trial, there seemed to be 67 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 3: a little talk about whether it was reasonable that she 68 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 3: and to Daryl might face dramatically different consequences because of 69 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 3: their minor age difference. But in the decades since, questions 70 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,559 Speaker 3: about where that line should be drawn, just how young 71 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 3: is too young to be sentenced to death, have only grown. 72 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say that this was for Knoxville, 73 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: a very heavy, heavy thing that was about to go down, because, 74 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: first of all, we don't look at young people as 75 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: getting involved in savage crimes like this. Certainly it's still 76 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: thankfully considered an aberration, and this was a slaughter, and 77 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: the idea that young people would do this was shocking 78 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: and troubling to I think everybody be included. You also 79 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: had this torture aspect, hints of Satanism, which was like, 80 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: what the hell is that. 81 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 3: The case was presided over by Judge Mary Beth Leebowitz, 82 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 3: who was appointed the first female criminal court judge in 83 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 3: Knox County in nineteen eighty nine. 84 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: Judge Leebowitz's courtroom was very small, had a limited number 85 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: of people it could accommodate. You sat very close to 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: both the defendant, the prosecution, and the jury. 87 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 3: Many saw the case as a slam dunk for the prosecution. 88 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 3: There was so much evidence against Christa, her own confession, 89 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: the clothes they found soaked in Colleen's blood, and that 90 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 3: piece of Collen skull which had already created a media 91 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 3: frenzy and played a starring role at trial. 92 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: Well, as you would imagine, all eyes were always on Christa, 93 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: always still are thirty years later. People pay attention to Christa, 94 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,239 Speaker 1: so we were always looking at how she was handling things. 95 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 3: Jury's selection, especially in a high profile case where capital 96 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 3: punishment is on the table, it can be a tricky thing. 97 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 3: The defense wants jurors who might have empathy for the accused, 98 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 3: might be able to see a person beyond their worst acts. 99 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 3: The prosecution wants durs who might be inclined to punish 100 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 3: someone for their transgressions, in this case, someone who'd be 101 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 3: inclined to punish someone by death if the evidence warranted it. 102 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 3: One juror was excused after she started crying as she 103 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 3: tried to explain that she had always believed in capital 104 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 3: punishment but now couldn't stomach the idea of being responsible 105 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 3: for someone's death. All the while Krista watched. At times, 106 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 3: John says the gravity of what was happening didn't seem 107 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 3: to register with her. 108 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: She was pretty chipper, she was sunny, she would smile, 109 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: she would talk to people. She'd gotten friendly with another 110 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: TV reporter and waived at him one morning as she 111 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: was walking into a court. 112 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 3: In the pictures I've seen of Krista at her trial, 113 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 3: she's wearing a series of frilly, floral dresses. Her mass 114 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 3: of auburn curls are pulled up in a scrunchy sometimes 115 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 3: in her French braid, and she has these frizzy bangs. 116 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 3: She has a spray of acne over her chin and 117 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 3: pudgy cheeks. She really looks like a kid, maybe even 118 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 3: younger than she was. A jury of seven men and 119 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 3: five women was finally chosen. They heard testimony about how 120 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: Colleen had fought for her life, about the pentagram that 121 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 3: was carved into her chest, about how she was cut 122 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 3: dozens of times with a box cutter and hit over 123 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,679 Speaker 3: and over. They heard the confession Krista made to Detective 124 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 3: Randy Yorke. 125 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 4: She has kind of ramack face, as Christ's confession was 126 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 4: played for the court. 127 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 3: She appeared to be crying, dabbing at her eyes with 128 00:07:58,560 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: a tissue. 129 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: There were moments when obviously I don't know if it 130 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: was guilt or what hit her, but she would see 131 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: some of the clothing. I think I remember when the 132 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: clothing came out of Colleen's Krista put her head down 133 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: and I think was affected by that. 134 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 3: The evidence was hard to hear and see. 135 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 6: This is the skull from the victim. 136 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 3: Doctor Sandra Elkins was a medical examiner who did Colleen's autopsy. 137 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 3: She brought Colleen's skull into court to show the jury 138 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 3: Colleen's cause of death. Colleen had injuries all over her body, 139 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,719 Speaker 3: but the fatal blows were to her head. 140 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 6: At least a minimum of two separate blows causing this 141 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 6: massive fracture on the last side of the skull. Taking 142 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 6: into account soft tissue and skull, I can say that 143 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 6: there were a minimum of five blows to the head. 144 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 3: Doctor Elkins showed the or the fragment Krista had taken 145 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 3: and how it fit back into Colleen's skull. John says 146 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 3: that may Martinez, Colleen's mother, sat through every day of 147 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 3: the trial and made a point of speaking to the press. 148 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: Colleen's mother wanted to be there for every bit of it, 149 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: including some bits that were just got awful. I mean 150 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: when they brought Colleen's clothing out and May got to 151 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: look at her pink sweater which was blood stained, and 152 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: her jeans where Christa had stabbed her in the crotch. 153 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: You know, that stuff was wrenching. 154 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 7: I was very angry. 155 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: In May twenty twenty five, Beth and I spoke with 156 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 3: May Martinez, Colleen's mother. She told us what she recalls 157 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 3: about being in court that week in nineteen ninety six, 158 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 3: and what it was like to sit so close to 159 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 3: the woman who killed her daughter. 160 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 7: She was sitting across from me and she kept looking 161 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 7: at me. But we're told that we can't look at 162 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 7: them or say anything to them. We can't say anything 163 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 7: for when you're there at a trial, the dog tells 164 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 7: you to keep quiet, no emotions, do nothing. And she 165 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 7: kept looking over and her family lives an over but 166 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 7: it was rough. The hardest thing was is seeing Colleen's coat, 167 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 7: her shoes, her remains being passed around in the trial. 168 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 7: I mean, they passed her skull around. It was not good. 169 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,439 Speaker 3: John remembers Colleen's mother being stoic throughout the trial. 170 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 8: Well, there must have been some point where you got emotional. 171 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 8: Would you wait until you got back to the hotel 172 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 8: or wherever you were staying. 173 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 7: Them outside in the courtroom, Outside of the courtroom, I 174 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 7: got emotion. 175 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 3: You know. 176 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 7: It was not easy. 177 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 8: I seem to recall reading that she had a sweater 178 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 8: on that you recognized. 179 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 7: Yeah, she had jacket her father water a green jacket 180 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 7: for Christmas, and she had that arm, and then she 181 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 7: had her new sweater that I had gotten her and 182 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 7: her jeans. 183 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: Beyond the graphic evidence, prosecutors also worked hard to show 184 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 3: Crista as a cold blooded killer with little remorse. Writing 185 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 3: at the time in the Knoxville News Sentinel, John North 186 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 3: noted that quote the defense has done little to refute 187 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 3: Pike's acts. Rather, they claimed that she murdered Slammer in 188 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 3: a fit of rage she couldn't control. 189 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 4: End quote. 190 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 3: This was backed up by a defense witness named doctor 191 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 3: Eric Engham. The clinical psychologist testified that Christa, despite being 192 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 3: extremely bright, especially for someone who only completed ninth grade, 193 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,599 Speaker 3: suffered from borderline personality disorder. 194 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 4: And was addicted to Pott. 195 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 3: Doctor Engham said he believed Krista hadn't intended to kill Colleen, 196 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 3: but things had escalated and she had lost control. He 197 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 3: added that Christa acted elated about the murder because she 198 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 3: believed killing Colleen would help her preserve her relationship with 199 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:54,599 Speaker 3: to Darryl. What the jury heard over the course of 200 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 3: the trial was devastating for everyone and undoubtedly damning for Christa. 201 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 3: What they didn't hear and what was going on in 202 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 3: the background of the trial was much more complicated. I'm 203 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 3: going to hand things off to Beth here so she 204 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 3: can take you through the mess on the legal side 205 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 3: of things. 206 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 8: So do you think Bill Talman was ineffective? Yes, that's 207 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 8: Kelly Gleeson, one of Christa's post conviction attorneys, and Bill Talman, 208 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 8: one of Christa's trial lawyers, was an experienced Knoxville defense attorney. 209 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 9: At the time, he had never done a capital case. 210 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 8: Death penalty cases are complicated and with so much at stake, 211 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 8: lawyers with experience are important, but Christa's parents didn't have 212 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 8: the money to hire their own expensive lawyer, so the 213 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 8: court appointed Talman. Steve Ferrell, another one of Christa's attorneys. Today, 214 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 8: says Christa seemed to trust Talman and seemed to find 215 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 8: some comfort in his warm, folksy nature. 216 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 10: A big part of his strategy was they'll never give 217 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 10: the death penalty to a pretty little like you. I 218 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 10: think he believed that. 219 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 8: Talman later denied that. He said that. 220 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 10: Why he gets this capital high profile case is a mystery. 221 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 8: But a lawyer without capital case experience was not their 222 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 8: only issue. 223 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 11: There should have been a chagent venue. 224 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 8: Kelly Gleeson says that emotions in Knoxville were supercharged, especially 225 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 8: with the ongoing suggestion that Colleen's murder was part of 226 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 8: a satanic ritual. 227 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 11: She should not have been tried in that saturated media environment. 228 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 11: The norms in Tennessee at the time were to move 229 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 11: a case like that. 230 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 8: Christa's attorneys did file emotion for a change of venue, 231 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 8: but it was denied. There were a lot of questions 232 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 8: about Talman's judgment, but one of the most consequential happened 233 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 8: just before he even stepped foot in Judge Leebwoitz's courtroom 234 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 8: for trial. 235 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 11: There was a plea offer that came in days before trial. 236 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 8: The offer was life without parole, a lot for a 237 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 8: young woman to consider, but certainly better than death. 238 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,839 Speaker 11: I don't think there were any extensive discussions with Christa 239 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 11: about this might be your best hope. That is what 240 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 11: Christa's asking for now. It could have all been done 241 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 11: and been over in nineteen ninety six, and we wouldn't 242 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 11: have to have gone through all this, and the victims 243 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 11: wouldn't have had to gone through all this. 244 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 8: According to Kelly Gleeson, Talman did not spend much time 245 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 8: talking to Christa about the offer, about the opportunity to 246 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 8: spare her life. She says that later Talman said that 247 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 8: was his biggest regret, not spending more time with Christa 248 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 8: to explain the plea offer. But Christa didn't get that opportunity. Instead, 249 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 8: she put her fate in the hands of the jury, 250 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 8: and in a final blow, in the middle of the 251 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 8: defense case, and shortly before all the testimony wrapped up, 252 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 8: a juror told some of his fellow jurors that he 253 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 8: didn't feel comfortable with the idea of sentencing Christa to death. 254 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 8: She was so young, he said. The other jurors reported 255 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 8: him to the judge. After questioning the juror out of 256 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 8: the presence of the others, the judge removed him, finding 257 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 8: his answers about the death penalty were inconsistent and confused. 258 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 8: For a jury to render their verdict, all twelve jurors 259 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 8: must agree. Randy Spivey, one of Christa's attorneys today, says 260 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 8: that with that one juror gone, the likelihood of a 261 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 8: hung jury or a life sentence was greatly diminished. That's 262 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 8: the one you need, and he's gone. 263 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 3: On March twenty ninth, nineteen ninety six, after just ninety 264 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 3: minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict. Christo was 265 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 3: found guilty of first degree murder and first degree conspiracy 266 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 3: to commit murder. Once Christa was convicted, the sentencing phase 267 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 3: was set to begin the next morning. It was a 268 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 3: chance for Christa's lawyers to convince the jury that though 269 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 3: Christa was guilty, she didn't deserve to die. The jury 270 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: had the option of sentencing Christa to life in prison. 271 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 3: At this point, Christa's team's job was to present mitigating evidence, 272 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 3: details of Christa's life from her earliest years that might 273 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 3: help the jury understand how and why Christa acted out 274 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 3: with so much rage. To see Christa as someone who 275 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 3: wasn't beyond repair, but desperately in need of help. Reporter 276 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 3: John North remembers this phase. 277 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: Well, I remember thinking, the defense has not got a 278 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: great hand to play with because of the nature of 279 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: the crime, because she talked to the cops, because of 280 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: her behavior, because of the souvenir's skull, because the attack 281 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: went on for thirty minutes to an hour. I think 282 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: they did the best that they could. Could they have 283 00:16:58,400 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: done better? 284 00:16:58,880 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 4: Oh? 285 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, and I'm sure they would tell you that today. 286 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 3: Much of the mitigation evidence depended on the testimony of 287 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 3: a psychologist named Diana McCoy, who had spent months preparing 288 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 3: a report by interviewing Christa and her family members. What 289 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 3: McCoy found was a life characterized by chronic abuse, neglect, 290 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 3: and instability. 291 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 11: She was shuffled between. 292 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 4: Her mom and dad. 293 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 11: Her father beat her so badly with a belt and 294 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 11: ritualistic fashion the scars on her back were visible. 295 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 4: She was emotionally abused. 296 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 11: Her mom cared more about alcohol and the man in 297 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 11: her life than Christa, so she had such adversity to overcome. 298 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 3: There was seldom food in the house. Christa's bed didn't 299 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 3: even have sheets. But that wasn't the worst of it. 300 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 11: She was sexually molested by her grandmother's boyfriend. 301 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 3: Christo was only two years old, and. 302 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 11: Because of that molestation, she was going to school drawing 303 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 11: pictures of mailed Gena Talia with a devil ae them. 304 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 11: And you know she wasn't yetting counseling, when if that 305 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 11: had happened today, that child would be sitting with a 306 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 11: therapist immediately. 307 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 3: Christo was sexually assaulted again when she was eleven. She 308 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 3: told her mom, but her mom didn't believe her. A 309 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 3: year later, when she was twelve, Christa attempted suicide for 310 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 3: the first time. She was raped again at seventeen. 311 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 10: There's a story that I don't know why this one 312 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 10: sticks with me the worst, because sexual assault, all those 313 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 10: things are so much worse than this. 314 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 3: This is Steve Ferrell again, another of Krista's attorneys. 315 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 10: There's an episode where her father has her and he's 316 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 10: tired of her. 317 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 3: Christo was around ten or twelve when this happened. She 318 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 3: had been staying with her father in West Virginia and 319 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 3: her mother was in North Carolina. 320 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 10: So he drives her from West Virginia down to North 321 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 10: Carolina and dumps her on the front porch with her. 322 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 9: Suitcase and no one's home. 323 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 10: I mean to me that that's almost like a metaphor 324 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 10: of her whole childhood. 325 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 4: She's alone. She's just alone. 326 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 10: Yeah, she's completely alone, navigating this world with mental health 327 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 10: issues that no one's looking into. 328 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 3: Teachers, her parents, others who knew Christa as a child 329 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: remember a girl plagued by mental health problems. Christa later 330 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 3: reported that at the time she killed Colleen, she was 331 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 3: in the middle of a manic episode, staying up all night, 332 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 3: chronically agitated, unable to stop her mind from spinning. 333 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 11: She didn't know what was wrong with her, but even 334 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 11: as a child and as an adolescent, she was showing 335 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 11: signs a post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder, but 336 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 11: that doesn't get diagnosed. 337 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 3: When Christa arrived at Job Corps in the summer of 338 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety four, she filled out in all about Me 339 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 3: intake form where she was asked to describe herself. 340 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 4: She said her. 341 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 3: Favorite food was pizza, and that she she wanted to 342 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 3: be a neonatal physical therapist and work with the most 343 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 3: vulnerable newborn babies. She also said that she hoped to 344 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 3: get her life straight and that she wished she had 345 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 3: a quote normal life end quote. 346 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 11: She wanted to be a nurse. She wanted to make 347 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 11: something of herself. Job Carr was a nightmare. It was 348 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 11: extremely violent, It was extremely chaotic. You know, this is 349 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 11: a conveyor belt into this disaster. 350 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 3: The portrait psychologist Diana McCoy crafted of Christa was of 351 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 3: a young woman in agony, a victim of serial abuse, 352 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 3: and a hostage to untreated mental illness. If allowed, McCoy 353 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 3: would have made the case that Christa killed Colleen not 354 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 3: because she was inherently rotten and irredeemable, but because of 355 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 3: a lifetime of trauma, family dysfunction, mental illness, and stress, 356 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 3: all making her incapable of controlling her behavior. McCoy's planned 357 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 3: testimony would have suggested to the jury that Christa could 358 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 3: get better with help, that she could claim a life 359 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,439 Speaker 3: of recognizable value. 360 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 4: But that never happened. 361 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 11: She was going to be the sole witness. That was 362 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 11: the plan, But. 363 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 3: The night before the trial that all changed. McCoy was 364 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 3: told not to testify by Christa's own lawyers. 365 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,360 Speaker 11: There are discrepant stories about why that decision was made, 366 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 11: but at the end of the day, those councils switched 367 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 11: to plan the night before capital sentencing. 368 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 3: Trial instead Chris's lawyer decided to call three witnesses, Christa's mother, father, 369 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 3: and aunt. 370 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 5: I should be the one in hersy not for her. 371 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 5: I should be the one to be punished for this crab, 372 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 5: not for her. Yeah, I was a too. 373 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 3: This is Christ's mother, Carissa Hansen testifying, trying a bit 374 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 3: too late to befend her daughter and take some of 375 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 3: the blame. 376 00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,479 Speaker 9: In that penalty phase. 377 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 10: Was not a single positive thing about Krista. 378 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 9: It was all what a problem she was. 379 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,400 Speaker 10: They didn't see kind of the root of the problems. 380 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 10: We didn't have anyone to connect the dots. You need 381 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 10: someone telling that jury that this girl who has been 382 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 10: involved in a horrific crime, has had horrific. 383 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 9: Things happen to her. And that's not an excuse. 384 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 10: It never is an excuse, But it's a reason to 385 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 10: have some sympathy. 386 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 9: That's the role of mitigation. 387 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 3: Reporter John North confirms that their testimony did little to 388 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 3: dispel the idea that Christa was unrestorable. 389 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: What was the appropriate punishment for a crime of this nature? 390 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:55,920 Speaker 1: The utter taking, slaughter, torture of an innocent human being 391 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: who'd been lured out on a rainy night in January 392 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: what's a probate. You reach a point where you have 393 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: to say, Okay, you had a bad experience in life, 394 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: but do you know what you're doing? Are you aware 395 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: of free will? Are you aware of how people conduct themselves? 396 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: And what's your responsibility for your own personal actions? 397 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,479 Speaker 3: All good questions, but it was the job of Chris's 398 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 3: lawyer to argue that she wasn't fully aware of how 399 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 3: to conduct herself or unable. Instead, the person who should 400 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 3: have been fighting for the jury to hear that seemed, 401 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 3: at least in the view of Chris's lawyers today, inappropriately 402 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 3: focused on other interests. 403 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 10: He had her sign a release giving him the media 404 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 10: rights to her story if ever. 405 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:45,479 Speaker 9: It was sold. 406 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: After Chris's conviction, Her lawyer, Bill Palman, had christ to 407 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 3: sign a contract allowing him to profit off the selling 408 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 3: of her story. 409 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 10: And the problem with I mean, it's a clear conflict 410 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 10: of interest. You don't represent someone and sell their story. 411 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 10: You represent them, or you're a journalist and you tell 412 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 10: the story. You can't do both. 413 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 3: Ultimately, the jury was not persuaded to spare Christa's life. 414 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 4: She was sentenced to. 415 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 3: The electric chair for killing Colleen and sent to the 416 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 3: Tennessee Prison for Women. Barely an adult still struggling with 417 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 3: untreated mental illness, Christa began a tumultuous new chapter waiting 418 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 3: on her own death. 419 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 2: I can't explain my thinking at the time, because I 420 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 2: was insane, I was miserable, and I just didn't want 421 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 2: to be here anymore and was too weak. I think 422 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 2: to take my own life, and I'm not sure, but 423 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 2: it was a really really bad mental state. 424 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 5: Be really bad. 425 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 4: That's next time on Proof of Life. 426 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 3: Unrestorable is executive produced and hosted by Me, Sarah Tulevin 427 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 3: and Beth Carris. Our producer is Kathleen Goldhart, Mixing and 428 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 3: sound design by Reza Daya for anonymous content, Jessica Grimshaw 429 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: is our executive producer, Jennifer Sears is our executive in 430 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 3: charge of production, and nick Yannas is our legal council. 431 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 3: For iHeart executive producer Christina Everett and supervising producer Abu 432 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 3: Zafar