Christa Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate, recently survived a botched execution attempt, leaving questions about her future. Her former accomplice and boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, faces a minimum of five more years until his next parole hearing for his role in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
Details of the Crime
Shipp, now 49, was 17 when he participated in the murder alongside Pike and another individual. The crime, laden with ‘satanic elements,’ has continued to haunt investigators for over three decades. Prosecutors accused Shipp of holding Slemmer down as she attempted to escape and of carving pentagrams into her chest and face.
It was a grotesque crime scene,former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith recalled, describing it as one of the worst he had ever seen in his nearly 34 years with the department.
Due to his age at the time of the crime, Shipp was ineligible for the death penalty. He received a life sentence for first-degree murder plus 25 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He is currently held at Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex.
Background and Current Status
Court records revealed that Shipp, as a child, had explored satanism. Investigators discovered satanic paraphernalia in his dorm room. Both he and Pike wore pentagram pendants upon their arrest. Tennessee prison records now list his alias as Abdul Khalip. Shipp filed a federal lawsuit in 2016 seeking access to halal food and Islamic prayer oils in prison, which was unsuccessful.
His first chance for parole was in October 2025, which was denied. His next hearing is set for October 2031. A recent mugshot from June 2024 depicts Shipp with glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard.
Execution Error and Legal Proceedings
Pike was found guilty of slashing Slemmer numerous times and crushing her skull with asphalt, keeping a skull fragment as a trophy. She was sentenced to death but remains in critical condition after a failed attempt to execute her with lethal injection. Despite requesting alternate execution methods, the procedure was botched, requiring emergency medical attention.
A third suspect, Shadolla Peterson, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against both Pike and Shipp.