Tadaryl Shipp, who was 17 when he participated in the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville, Tennessee, will not have another parole hearing until October 2031. Shipp was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and is serving his sentence at Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex. His former girlfriend and accomplice, death row inmate Christa Pike, remains hospitalized after a failed lethal injection attempt. The case continues to draw attention because of the brutality of the killing and its alleged satanic elements.
| 1) | Shipp’s parole timeline |
|---|---|
| 2) | The 1995 Knoxville killing |
| 3) | Shipp’s sentence and prison record |
| 4) | Pike’s execution setback |
| 5) | The case’s continuing impact |
Shipp’s parole timeline
Tadaryl Shipp first became eligible for parole in October 2025. The Tennessee parole board denied his request after that hearing, and state prison records show that his next hearing is scheduled for October 2031. The decision means Shipp, now 49, will remain incarcerated for at least another five years before he can again seek release consideration.
Shipp was a juvenile at the time of the Knoxville killing, which prevented prosecutors from pursuing a death sentence against him. His age was a central factor in the punishment imposed after his conviction, although the seriousness of the offenses resulted in a life sentence and an additional 25-year term.
The 1995 Knoxville killing
Slemmer, a 19-year-old classmate of Shipp and Pike at a vocational school, was tortured and killed in Knoxville in 1995. Prosecutors said Shipp held Slemmer down when she attempted to escape, while Pike attacked her. Investigators described the crime as involving satanic elements, citing pentagrams allegedly carved into the victim’s chest and face and satanic-related items found in Shipp’s dorm room.
Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith described the scene as exceptionally disturbing, based on his decades with the police department.
“It was a grotesque crime scene. It was one of the worst crime scenes I’d witnessed.”
Court records state that Shipp had explored satanism as a child and that he and Pike wore pentagram pendants when they were arrested. A third suspect, Shadolla Peterson, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against Pike and Shipp.
Shipp’s sentence and prison record
Shipp was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He received life in prison for the murder conviction and 25 years for conspiracy. He is currently held at Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex, where he remains subject to the state’s parole process.
Keith said Shipp showed no remorse after his arrest and even fell asleep during questioning. Tennessee prison records also indicate that Shipp later adopted the alias Abdul Khalip. In 2016, he was identified as the plaintiff in an unsuccessful federal lawsuit seeking access to halal food and Islamic prayer oils while incarcerated.
Pike’s execution setback
Christa Pike was convicted of killing Slemmer by slashing her dozens of times and crushing her head with a piece of asphalt. Prosecutors also said Pike kept a fragment of Slemmer’s skull as a trophy and displayed it to another classmate before her arrest.
Pike was sentenced to death and was scheduled for execution in Tennessee in September 2026. However, two doses of lethal injection drugs failed to kill her, and witnesses were directed to leave the execution room before she had been declared dead. Pike was subsequently hospitalized in critical condition. The failed execution has prompted renewed questions about what happens next in her case, while Shipp’s separate parole schedule remains unchanged.
The case’s continuing impact
The killing continues to affect investigators, the victim’s family and the wider Knoxville community more than three decades later. Its unusual brutality, the involvement of teenagers and the references to satanic imagery have kept the case in public focus.
The latest developments involve two separate legal tracks. Shipp’s parole denial postpones his next opportunity for release consideration until 2031, while Pike’s medical condition and failed execution raise unresolved questions about Tennessee’s handling of her death sentence. The victim, Slemmer, remains central to both discussions.
| Number | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shipp’s next parole hearing is scheduled for October 2031. |
| 2 | He was 17 when Colleen Slemmer was killed in Knoxville in 1995. |
| 3 | He received life in prison for murder and 25 years for conspiracy. |
| 4 | Pike remains hospitalized after two failed lethal injection doses. |
Summary
Shipp will remain imprisoned until at least his next parole hearing in October 2031. His case stems from the 1995 killing of Slemmer, a crime for which he was sentenced as a juvenile to life in prison and an additional 25 years. Pike’s separate death sentence remains uncertain after a failed execution attempt, but the two cases continue to be linked by the same Knoxville murder.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Tadaryl Shipp’s next parole hearing?
His next parole hearing is scheduled for October 2031, five years after his parole request was denied in October 2025.
Why was Shipp not sentenced to death?
Shipp was 17 when the murder occurred, and his age made him ineligible for the death penalty under the circumstances described in the case.
What happened during Christa Pike’s execution attempt?
Two doses of lethal injection drugs failed to kill Pike. She was hospitalized in critical condition, and witnesses were removed before she had been declared dead.