The events following a failed execution attempt have put Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike in the spotlight. Her accomplice in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, Tadaryl Shipp, is not due for another parole hearing for five years. This crime, characterized by its brutal nature and ‘satanic elements,’ continues to haunt those involved even after 31 years.
Tadaryl Shipp, now 49, was a teenager when he participated in the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. He and Pike, along with another accomplice, engaged in acts of torture before killing their classmate from a vocational school. During these horrific events, prosecutors claim Shipp held Slemmer down as she attempted to flee and carved pentagrams into her body.
According to former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith, “It was one of the worst crime scenes I’d witnessed,” based on his experience of almost 34 years in the department.
Due to Shipp’s age at the time, he did not face the death penalty. His sentence included life in prison for first-degree murder and an additional 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder. He is serving his time at Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex. Evidence and court records reveal Shipp’s early exploration of satanic practices with paraphernalia found in his dorm room. Both Shipp and Pike were discovered wearing pentagram pendants during their arrest.
In a Prison environment, Shipp has since taken the name Abdul Khalip. He filed a federal lawsuit in 2016 seeking access to halal food and Islamic prayer oils but the case was unsuccessful.
Shipp first became eligible for parole in October 2025, with his request denied following his initial hearing. His next review will occur in October 2031.
Colleen Slemmer’s murder was heinous. Pike was found guilty of extensive violence, including slashing her repeatedly and using a piece of asphalt to crush her skull. Pike notoriously kept a piece of Slemmer’s skull as a ‘trophy.’ Following her conviction, she faced the death penalty. However, after a particularly disturbing mishap, she remains critically ill; two doses of lethal injection drugs failed to execute her.
The third accomplice, Shadolla Peterson, admitted guilt for her role as an accessory after the crime and testified against both Pike and Shipp.