Christa Pike came within an hour of becoming the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years before a federal appeals court halted her lethal injection on the morning of September 30, 2026. Her then-boyfriend and accomplice, Tadaryl Shipp, has never faced the same fate — and the reason comes down to a single factor: his age at the time of the murder.
Pike, now the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, was convicted of the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student at the Job Corps Center in Knoxville. Shipp, who was dating Pike and helped lure Slemmer into the woods on the night she was killed, was 17 at the time of the crime. That made him a minor under the law — and ineligible for the death penalty.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened to Shipp, how his sentence has held up over the decades and where his case stands now.
What Crime Did Christa Pike and Tadaryl Shipp Commit?
On January 12, 1995, Pike, Shipp and their friend Shadolla Peterson led Slemmer to a remote area of the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus. According to court records, Pike slashed Slemmer’s throat, beat her and threw pieces of asphalt at her. Pike also allegedly told a friend she had used a meat cleaver to slash Slemmer’s back and carved a pentagram into her forehead and chest.
Investigators said Pike kept a piece of Slemmer’s skull after the killing.
Prosecutors said Pike, who was 18 at the time, viewed Slemmer as a “romantic rival,” USA Today reported, in connection with her relationship with Shipp.
Pike and Shipp ultimately admitted to the murder, but because Shipp was a minor at the time of the crime, prosecutors could not seek capital punishment against him. Pike, who had just turned 18, could — and did — face the death penalty.
Why Tadaryl Shipp Received a Life Sentence Instead of Death
Pike was found guilty of Slemmer’s killing in March 1996 and sentenced to death that same month. She was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.
Shipp, meanwhile, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole specifically because he was 17 — a minor — when the crime was committed. The distinction between an adult offender and a juvenile offender shaped the entire outcome of his case. Pike went to death row while Shipp went to prison with the chance, one day, of walking out.
Peterson, the friend who accompanied them, pleaded guilty to being an accessory and was sentenced to serve six years of probation. She provided testimony against Pike and Shipp in exchange for her sentence, per the Death Penalty Information Center.
Tadaryl Shipp Remains in Custody After Latest Parole Denial
Shipp was eligible for parole from the start of his sentence, but he has not been released. He remains in custody more than three decades after Slemmer’s murder, with his most recent parole bid being denied in October 2025.
The periodic parole hearings mean his status could theoretically change in the future — a sharp contrast to Pike, whose only paths out of a death sentence have been the courts or clemency from the governor.
Christa Pike’s Execution Was Halted 1 Hour Before Lethal Injection
Pike was scheduled to be executed on September 30, 2026. Just one hour before she was set to be put to death, the federal appeals court announced it was halting her execution so it could review whether her allegations of childhood sexual abuse and rape were fully considered before she received her death sentence, according to CNN.
Pike had a difficult childhood and was just 13 years old when she was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend, according to Mercy for Christa. Children’s Services removed her from her home following the assault, but she returned three months later with minimal follow-up. Years later, Pike was raped again by a stranger when she was 17. The rape was confirmed with hospital records, though local authorities only minimally investigated the situation.
Pike developed bipolar disorder and suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the abuse she experienced throughout her childhood. She never received appropriate medical treatment or care for her mental health struggles.
Inside Christa Pike’s Botched Execution
Following the brief halt, Pike’s execution was resumed on September 30, 2026. However, the execution failed when Pike was given two lethal injections that did not kill her.
Pike was rushed to a hospital for treatment, where she currently remains in critical condition. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also called off all future executions as a third party looks into what went wrong.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
