A Chattanooga judge is hearing the appeal of a Tennessee woman who has been on death row since she was 20.
Christa Gail Pike turned to Federal Court after exhausting her appeals to avoid the death penalty in state court for the torture murder of a romantic rival when she was 18.
Judge Sandy Mattice is holding evidentiary hearings in Nashville on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Police said Ms. Pike was at a Job Corps Center for troubled youth at Knoxville when she, her boyfriend and another youth lured 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer to a remote location on Jan. 12, 1995.
Authorities said the victim was attacked by Ms. Pike and boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp. The victim was beaten and slashed, and a pentagram was carved in her chest while she was still alive. Ms. Pike smashed Ms. Slemmer's skull with a large chunk of asphalt paving, killing her.
Those involved were soon arrested after Ms. Pike kept a piece of the victim's skull and showed it off to friends.
Ms. Pike was sentenced to die, while Shipp is serving a life prison sentence. The other youth got probation after he agreed to help the state.
Ms. Pike at one time briefly said she wanted to be executed, but she soon resumed her appeals.