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Christa Pike: The Full Story, From 1995 to the Failed Execution

By the Undercurrent desk · Published

Video · 19:34 · Watch on YouTube

UPDATE (Oct. 30, 2026): In her first public statement since Sept. 30, released through her attorneys, Christa Pike said she is recovering but in constant pain, and added: "I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what comes next." The Department of Correction declined to comment, and earlier this month state prosecutors said there was no pending execution order (NBC News, ABC News, France 24).

Christa Pike full story: what happened to Colleen Slemmer in 1995, how three people got three different sentences, and what happened when Tennessee tried to carry out Pike's death sentence on Sept. 30, 2026. Everything here is sourced to court records, agency statements and named news reports (as of Oct. 25, 2026).

Pike was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to death. Tadaryl Shipp was convicted and sentenced to life. Shadolla Peterson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to probation.

The seven videos this is built from

Colleen Slemmer: What We Know: https://youtu.be/mAeROEZB85A

Christa Pike: What We Know: https://youtu.be/w2gwtr_7i1Y

Tadaryl Shipp: What We Know About Christa Pike's Accomplice: https://youtu.be/2qtCeIFjGnA

Christa Pike Case: Why Shadolla Peterson Got Probation: https://youtu.be/2h2kQFRWmAg

What is clemency? How Tennessee's process works: https://youtu.be/krKL1ibYxRY

Christa Pike Execution Attempt: What We Know: https://youtu.be/JPMkfkeQ_fI

Christa Pike survived her execution. What we know now: https://youtu.be/hz7ISt0ZwO0

Chapters

  1. 0:00Christa Pike full story: 1995 to 2026
  2. 0:46Colleen Slemmer: who she was
  3. 1:29Christa Pike case: January 12, 1995
  4. 4:16Christa Pike trial: the 1996 verdict
  5. 4:36Tadaryl Shipp: why life, not death
  6. 5:56Shadolla Peterson: why probation
  7. 6:42Christa Pike appeals: 1998 to 2026
  8. 9:35Christa Pike clemency: the governor's answer
  9. 10:33Christa Pike execution attempt: Sept. 30
  10. 15:13Christa Pike after Sept. 30: court and condition
  11. 16:39Christa Pike new court filings: Oct. 22-23
  12. 18:18Christa Pike case: where it stands

The record · as of Oct. 29, 2026

How we know

Primary records are court and agency documents; reporting is news coverage we checked against them. How we report.

What happens next

We check these records for changes: AP Oct 22 filing story.

Verified timeline

  1. 1995-01-12About 8 p.m., four Job Corps students (Pike, Slemmer, Shadolla Peterson, Tadaryl Shipp) were seen walking away from the center toward 17th Street. About 10:15 p.m. Pike, Peterson and Shipp returned without Slemmer. (Trial proof as summarized by the courts; the witness is not named by us.)Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]; State v. Shipp, Tenn. Crim. App. No. 03C01-9711-CR-00492 (Sept. 11, 1998) [primary]; WBIR
  2. 1995-01-12Colleen Slemmer, 19, was killed in Knoxville that night. Pike was convicted of her murder. State the killing in ONE plain attributed sentence; no injuries or method. (Court record: Pike told a fellow student that night that she had killed Slemmer.)Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]; AP/PBS (9/30/2026); NBC News (10/1/2026)
  3. 1995-01-13About 8:05 a.m., a University of Tennessee grounds employee found Slemmer's body near the greenhouses on the UT agricultural campus and notified law enforcement. (Do not describe the scene.)Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]; AP/PBS (9/30/2026); WBIR timeline
  4. 1995-01-14Two days after the killing, Pike waived her rights and gave a statement to Knoxville police Investigator York, retraced events at the Job Corps center and took him to the location where Slemmer was found. Pike and Shipp were photographed at KPD that day. Shipp was taken into custody Jan. 14.Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]; State v. Shipp (Tenn. Crim. App. 1998) p.7 [primary]; 6th Cir. (2019) as cited in prior Studio script
  5. 1995-01-14Pike, Shipp and Peterson were arrested within about a day and a half of the killing and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy (Peterson later pleaded to a lesser charge; see below). Exact arraignment/indictment dates NOT found.AP via ABC News (9/29/2026) as logged in prior research; WBIR; State v. Shipp [primary]
  6. 1996-01-01Shadolla Peterson pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and received probation (six years' probation per the Shipp opinion); reported reason: cooperation with prosecutors. Plea date NOT found. Never describe her role beyond court-record language ('lookout' is attributed to news summaries only).State v. Shipp p.3 [primary]; WSMV (10/2/2026); USA TODAY Network (10/8/2026)
  7. 1996-03-30Knox County Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz formally imposed the death sentence; jury sentenced Pike to death by electrocution after finding two aggravating circumstances. Pike was 20. She also received a consecutive 25-year sentence for conspiracy.Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]; WBIR; Wikipedia (lead)
  8. 1997-01-01Tadaryl Shipp, 17 at the time of the crime, was convicted by a Knox County jury of first-degree murder and conspiracy; sentenced to life with the possibility of parole plus 25 years (year only; jury could not consider death because of his age). Convictions affirmed Sept. 11, 1998.State v. Shipp (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 11, 1998) [primary]; WBIR; WSMV (10/1/2026)
  9. 1998-01-01Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed Pike's conviction and death sentence, State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998); U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari, 526 U.S. 1147 (1999). Exact 1998 decision date not captured.Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]
  10. 2005-03-01Roper v. Simmons (U.S. Supreme Court, 5-4): death penalty barred for crimes committed under 18. Pike was 18, so the rule did not cover her.Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005) [primary]; AP
  11. 2011-04-25Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed denial of post-conviction relief (No. E2009-00016-CCA-R3-PD); Tenn. Supreme Court denied permission to appeal.Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]
  12. 2016-03-11U.S. District Court (E.D. Tenn., Judge Mattice) denied Pike's federal habeas petition and refused a certificate of appealability.Pike v. Colson (E.D. Tenn. 2016) quoting State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998) [primary]
  13. 2019-08-22Sixth Circuit (Pike v. Gross) rejected her appeal (opinion Aug. 22, 2019; rehearing denied Sept. 26, 2019). U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari June 8, 2020 (docket 19-1054).SCOTUS docket 19-1054 [primary]; SCOTUSblog
  14. 2022-04-01Gov. Bill Lee paused executions for an independent review after the Oscar Smith execution was halted (state acknowledged drugs not properly tested); executions resumed 2025. Month approximate (exact date not re-checked).AP; CBS via Yahoo (2022); TDOC chronology
  15. 2025-09-30Tennessee Supreme Court order (dated Sept. 30, 2025, reported Oct. 1) set Pike's execution for Sept. 30, 2026.Axios Nashville (10/1/2025); WSMV (10/1/2025); DPIC
  16. 2025-10-20Shipp's parole denied by the Board ('seriousness of the offense'); next review Oct. 2031 (hearing was Oct. 8, 2025; recommended 2030, modified to 2031). Carried from the sibling Shipp script; not re-opened this run.WVLT (10/20/2025); WATE (10/20/2025); WBIR (9/29/2026)
  17. 2026-08-13At a special-master hearing the Attorney General's office said it 'does not dispute the terrible things that Ms. Pike suffered'; its later brief called her history 'tragic' but 'no cause to insulate her' from the sentence. (Attribute both.)Clemency petition cover (quotes AG) [primary]; AP (brief quote)
  18. 2026-09-23Tennessee Supreme Court denied Pike's stay request (PTSD / re-traumatization claim). Carried from prior research.WATE; Sinclair/WCYB; SCOTUS docket
  19. 2026-09-28Gov. Lee denied clemency: 'I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene.' No explanation offered.tn.gov statement; AP; WBIR; Fox 17; DPIC
  20. 2026-09-29U.S. Supreme Court denied Pike's stay application (26A414) and cert petition (26-5696); no noted dissent. No other appeal route reported.SCOTUS docket 26-5696 [primary]; WVLT; AP
  21. 2026-09-30SCHEDULE: TDOC set the execution for 10 a.m. CT at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Nashville (lethal injection); the warrant ran to midnight. The attempt actually began that EVENING after courts ruled (not at 10 a.m.). Do not write that the attempt began at 10 a.m.TDOC advisory; WATE/WKRN; NBC News and ABC News (midnight warrant)
  22. 2026-09-30Late afternoon (about 5:50 p.m. CT): a Sixth Circuit panel had stayed the execution 2-1; the U.S. Supreme Court granted Tennessee's application and vacated the stay with no reasons; Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson dissented. Clock time varies by outlet: Banner 5:50, NewsChannel 5 ~6:00, WVLT/WSMV 'just before 7 ET'.SCOTUS No. 26A428 [primary]; AP; CBS; Nashville Banner
  23. 2026-09-30The State administered two doses of pentobarbital; Pike did not die. Per witnesses/attorneys she could still be heard when the witness microphone was cut at 8:53 p.m. CT and witnesses were told to leave. (Plain, attributed; no description.)AP; Nashville Banner; CBS; WVLT; Tennessee Lookout
  24. 2026-10-01Gov. Lee said the remaining scheduled 2026 execution will not be carried out this year and ordered 'a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred.' Pike's attorneys said she was in critical condition (State released no condition).AP; ABC (verbatim); WVLT/WSMV; NBC
  25. 2026-10-03TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada announced he will resign; said he believes the department followed established protocol.Nashville Banner; Action News 5; WVLT; Al Jazeera
  26. 2026-10-06Pike's attorneys said she is conscious, speaking and receiving critical medical care; long recovery, prognosis unclear. TDOC said only that she remained hospitalized.AP via PBS NewsHour; ABC News; WSMV
  27. 2026-10-07Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles ordered the State to preserve evidence from the Sept. 30 attempt ('This case is unique, to say the least').ABC News (Deliso); NPR via WUSF; Reuters via GV Wire; DPIC
  28. 2026-10-10Pike's attorneys announced she was discharged from the hospital and returned to the Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, the women's prison where she has been held for 30 years, continuing to receive medical care there.KPTV (10/10/2026); Gulf News/AP (10/10/2026); Fox Carolina; WECT
  29. 2026-10-22Attorney Randy Spivey's declaration (dated Oct. 15) was filed Thursday Oct. 22 in a separate legal proceeding in which Tennessee death-row prisoners challenge the state's lethal injection procedures. He wrote that the IV team used about 10 needles across both arms and that team members said a vein 'might be blowing' (6:57 p.m.) and 'I think it's blown' (7:07 p.m.).AP via PBS News, Oct 22; WKRN/Nexstar (snippet)
  30. 2026-10-22A Davidson County Chancery hearing set for Oct. 23 on the state's motion for a deadline for Pike to amend her complaint (Pike v. Skrmetti) was removed from the docket 'for good cause shown'; the motion will be heard without oral argument as the parties waived it.WZTV (Fox 17), 39 News
  31. 2026-10-22AP: state protocol calls for a second pentobarbital dose if the first does not result in death, but does not say what to do if a person survives the second injection.AP via PBS News
  32. 2026-10-22AP: State protocol calls for a second dose of pentobarbital if the first does not cause death but does not spell out what to do if a person survives the second injection; plaintiffs' attorney Kit Thomas: 'Our predictions about the likelihood of botched executions have come true.' (Attribute; do not say 'botched' in our voice.)AP via PBS (10/22/2026); AP/Banner/Lookout earlier (protocol gap)

Also in our research file

Updates and corrections

  • UPDATE (Oct. 30, 2026): In her first public statement since Sept. 30, released through her attorneys, Christa Pike said she is recovering but in constant pain, and added: "I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what comes next." The Department of Correction declined to comment, and earlier this month state prosecutors said there was no pending execution order (NBC News, ABC News, France 24).

State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998), as quoted in Pike v. Freeman, No. 1:12-cv-35 (E.D. Tenn.); State v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9711-CR-00492 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1998); U.S. Supreme Court docket 26A428 and order; Tennessee Department of Correction media advisory (Aug. 31, 2026); Associated Press, PBS News, ABC News, WVLT/Gray News, FOX 17 Nashville, WZTV, Knoxville News Sentinel, NPR.

CORRECTION NOTE: our earlier video "Christa Pike: What We Know" misdated her attack on a fellow inmate. It happened in 2001; she was convicted of attempted first-degree murder in August 2004. This video has the corrected line.

Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.

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