Prison guard and ‘accomplice’ arrested after they ‘plotted to break out Tennessee’s only female death row inmate’

An alleged plot to break a female death row inmate out of prison with the help of a guard has been foiled.

Christa Gail Pike, 36, is facing the electric chair at Tennessee Prison for Women for brutally killing a 19-year-old student, in 1995 when she was just 18.



Two men have been arrested in connection with the plot; Justin Heflin, 23, a correctional officer at the prison, and Donald Kohut, 34, an acquaintance of the killer who frequently visited her.



An alleged plot to break convicted killer Christa Pike, out has been foiled

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that there was no imminent danger of the state's lone female death row prisoner escaping.

Pike was 20 when she was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fe llow Knoxville Job Corps student.



Pike had smashed the teenager's skull with a piece of paving after torturing her for 30 minutes with two of her friends.



She is also serving time for attempting to murder a fellow female prisoner 2004 by strangling her with a shoelace.

The prison picked up on the alleged plot to break her free and called in the TBI for assistance.



Arrested: Justin Heflin (left) is a correctional officer at the prison, while Donald Kohut, 34, frequently visited Pike



During the investigation, TBI agents and TDOC officials discovered evidence of the planned escape and items of contraband within

the prison, reports wbir.com.

They were also tipped off about correctional officer, Heflin, being involved in the plan.



The investigation revealed Heflin was allegedly receiving money and gifts for his role in planning the escape.

New Jersey State Police arrested Kohut of Flemington on Monday. He was charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit escape.



Heflin, was arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and charged with bribery, conspiracy to commit escape and facilitation to commit escape.

Helfin of Chattonooga , was a former correctional officer at Tennessee Prison for Women, before he was sacked on March 5.



The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that there was no imminent danger of the state's lone female death row prisoner escaping from the prison, pictured, in Nashville













