The Women on Death Row: Christina Marie Riggs
By the time Christina Marie Riggs was 30, she would become the first woman executed in Arkansas in over 100 years.
The Beginning
Riggs was allegedly abused by her stepbrother until she was 13 years old. When she was 13, she claims she was abused by a neighbor. It was around this time that Riggs began to use marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes.
Sexuality became commonplace in Riggs’ young life. She became promiscuous. Looking back, she claims that she felt like her weight was a major factor in her low self-esteem, and she felt that sexuality was the best way to get a boyfriend.
At 16, Riggs learned she was pregnant. In January of 1988, she gave birth to a boy she would place for adoption. She would go on to finish high school.
Building an Adult Life
In adulthood, Riggs became a licensed practical nurse. She would spend her days working part-time in home care and full-time at a VA center.
Riggs dated around for a whole until she eventually started up with Timothy Thompson. Thompson was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base and planning for discharge from the military when Riggs told him she was pregnant in October of 1991. Thompson seemingly rejected the idea that the baby was his and took off.
