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Christa Pike's Accomplices: What Happened Next?
8 Oct
Summary
- Tadaryl Shipp received life in prison for his role in the murder.
- Shadolla Peterson received probation for being an accessory.
- Shipp carved a pentagram into the victim's chest.
In the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, Christa Pike was not the only individual involved. Her accomplices, Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson, received significantly different sentences. Shipp, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy, receiving a life sentence plus 25 years. He admitted to carving a pentagram into Slemmer's chest as part of a perceived satanic ritual.
Peterson, the third participant, pleaded guilty to being an accessory. She received a sentence of six years probation, with credit for time served. Prosecutors stated they would have had difficulty proving Peterson's involvement in the murder itself, only her presence at the scene. Slemmer was lured into the woods and brutally murdered on January 12, 1995, with her body discovered the next day.
Shipp is currently 48 years old and was denied parole in October 2025, with his next parole eligibility in 2031. This case has seen renewed public interest following Pike's near-execution on September 30, 2026, which was halted and led to an investigation into the lethal injection process. Pike regained consciousness on October 7, 2026, and is reportedly angry and confused.
