The aftermath of the failed execution of Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike raises questions about her future. Her accomplice, Tadaryl Shipp, faces another five years before his parole hearing for his role in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
Shocking Crime and Aftermath
Tadaryl Shipp, now 49, was just 17 when he participated in the torture and killing of Slemmer. The crime occurred at a vocational school in Knoxville and included shocking “satanic elements.” Shipp was accused of holding Slemmer down and carving pentagrams into her chest and face.
“It was a grotesque crime scene,” said former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith. “It was one of the worst crime scenes I’d witnessed.”
Due to his age, Shipp was not eligible for the death penalty. He received a life sentence for first-degree murder and an additional 25 years for conspiracy. He is incarcerated at Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex.
Investigators discovered satanic items in Shipp’s dorm room. Both he and Pike were wearing pentagram pendants at their arrests.
Pike’s Legal and Health Situation
Pike’s legal troubles continue as she remains in critical condition after a failed execution by lethal injection. Convicted of brutally slashing Slemmer and crushing her skull, Pike kept a skull fragment as a trophy.
Currently hospitalized, Pike survived two unsuccessful doses of lethal injection drugs. The execution attempt ended in chaos when witnesses were asked to leave before declaring her dead.
Past and Present of Shipp
Shipp, now known as Abdul Khalip, unsuccessfully sued for halal food and Islamic prayer oils in 2016. His latest parole eligibility will be in October 2031 after being denied in 2025.
Shadolla Peterson, the third suspect, pleaded guilty as an accessory after the fact and testified against both Pike and Shipp.
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