A disturbing new exhibit in Las Vegas is drawing attention to one of the most notorious criminal cases in Tennessee history.
Zak Bagans, the television personality known for Ghost Adventures, has reportedly placed a prison letter and a lock of hair associated with Christa Pike on display at his Haunted Museum. The announcement comes just weeks after Pike survived a failed execution attempt in Tennessee, bringing renewed attention to her decades-old murder conviction.
According to a report published by TMZ on October 14, Bagans said the items were acquired from a dealer specializing in crime-related memorabilia. He reportedly purchased them in 2019 but only recently decided to display them publicly.
What Is Inside the Exhibit?
The reported display includes a letter Pike allegedly sent to a prison pen pal and a lock of hair said to have been sent with it as a birthday gift.
According to Bagans’s account, the correspondence contains personal language directed toward the recipient. He also said the objects are being displayed inside a recreated jail-cell setting featuring bars from a decommissioned prison.
Bagans told TMZ that he wanted the exhibit to document Pike’s communications after her conviction.
However, the details about the letter and hair are based on the museum owner’s account and media reporting. The public reporting does not independently establish every detail of the objects’ provenance, so claims about their origin should be treated with care.
Who Is Christa Pike?
Christa Pike was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder in the 1995 killing of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow participant in a Job Corps training program in Tennessee.
Pike was 18 when the crime occurred. Slemmer, also 19, was killed in a wooded area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus in Knoxville.
The case drew widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing and Pike’s age. Pike was sentenced to death and became the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
In 2001, she was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder in a separate assault on another incarcerated woman.
Her case has remained in the public eye for decades because of the original crime, legal challenges surrounding her sentence, and renewed attention to the circumstances of her planned execution.
The Failed Execution That Brought Renewed Attention
On September 30, 2026, Tennessee attempted to execute Pike by lethal injection. The procedure failed, and she was transported to a medical facility.
Her attorneys later reported that she regained consciousness and made progress during her hospital stay. By October 10, her legal team confirmed that she had been released from the hospital and returned to prison, where she would continue receiving medical care.
The episode raised serious questions about the execution procedure and what might happen next. Tennessee officials and the courts will determine the legal and administrative consequences; Pike’s future remains uncertain.
The timing of the museum exhibit has therefore attracted additional attention, as the failed execution has placed Pike’s case back in national headlines.
Why Display Criminal Memorabilia?
The display also raises a broader question about the market for objects associated with notorious crimes.
Some collectors see letters and personal belongings connected to criminal cases as historical artifacts that can help document events and public fascination with them. Others argue that displaying such items risks turning real suffering into entertainment or encouraging the commercialization of tragedy.
In cases involving real victims and their families, the debate can be especially sensitive. The ethical question is not simply whether an object is unusual, but whether its display offers meaningful historical context and treats those affected by the crime with dignity.
Bagans has presented the exhibit as a way to document Pike’s post-conviction communications. Whether visitors view it as historical documentation or sensational true-crime memorabilia will likely depend on how the objects are authenticated and presented.
What Happens Next?
For now, the reported display adds another chapter to the long-running public fascination with Christa Pike’s case. But several questions remain, including the full history of the letter and hair, how their authenticity was established, and whether further legal developments will affect Pike’s future.
The museum exhibit does not change the facts of the underlying conviction, and it should not be confused with new evidence about the 1995 murder.
As developments continue, Pike’s case remains at the intersection of criminal justice, the death penalty, and the increasingly popular market for true-crime artifacts.
What do you think? Should personal items connected to notorious criminal cases be displayed in museums, or does doing so cross an ethical line? Share your thoughts in the comments.