What We Know
Tadaryl Shipp: What We Know About Christa Pike's Accomplice
Video · 2:33 · Watch on YouTube
Is Tadaryl Shipp getting out? He is serving life with the possibility of parole in Tennessee for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, in Knoxville. He was 17. His co-defendant Christa Pike, who was 18, was sentenced to death. The Tennessee Board of Parole denied him parole in October 2025; his next review is October 2031.
Related: "Tadaryl Shipp Parole: Pike's Accomplice Isn't Getting Out in 5 Years" https://youtu.be/pV0GlpPmKP4
What's confirmed
- Jan. 12, 1995Colleen Slemmer, 19, a student at the Knoxville Job Corps center, is killed. (Tenn. Court of Criminal Appeals, State v. Shipp, 1998)
- 1996Christa Pike, 18 at the time, is convicted and sentenced to death. (Tenn. Supreme Court, State v. Pike, 1998; AP)
- 1997A Knox County jury convicts Shipp of first-degree murder and conspiracy. Because he was 17, the death penalty was not an option for his jury. Sentence: life with the possibility of parole, plus 25 years. (State v. Shipp; WBIR; WATE; WSMV)
- Sept. 11, 1998The Court of Criminal Appeals affirms both convictions. (State v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9711-CR-00492)
- Oct. 8, 2025First parole hearing, Northwest Correctional Complex, Tiptonville. The board member who heard it votes to deny and recommends a review in October 2030. (WVLT; WBIR)
- Oct. 20, 2025Parole denied "due to the seriousness of the offense," a board spokesperson said. Next review: October 2031. The board recommended he complete programming and maintain positive behavior. (WATE; WVLT)
- Sept. 30, 2026Christa Pike survives Tennessee's attempt to execute her. As of Oct. 7, her lawyers say she is awake and talking; Gov. Bill Lee has paused executions pending an independent review. (The Associated Press; WSMV; Fox 17)
- Oct. 6, 2026headlines say Shipp "could be released in 5 years." That is the date of his next parole review (October 2031), not a release date; the same article says so in its first paragraph. (WFMD / Fox News)
What we don't know
- Why the review was set for 2031 rather than the 2030 first recommended: the board has not said publicly.
- The exact date of the 2031 review: not set.
- What the trial court did after the 1998 appeals court sent back one part of his sentence (whether the 25 years run consecutively): we could not find that record.
What happens next
The Tennessee Board of Parole reviews his case again in October 2031. We'll update this page then.
Chapters
- 0:00Shipp and Pike: same murder, two sentences
- 0:16Who Colleen Slemmer was
- 0:35Tadaryl Shipp's verdict and sentence
- 1:24Tadaryl Shipp and the parole board
- 1:44Is Tadaryl Shipp getting out? Where it stands
Sources
- Tenn. Court of Criminal Appeals, State v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9711-CR-00492 (Sept. 11, 1998) Primary recordtncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OPINIONS/tcca/PDF/983/shippt.pdf
- WVLT, Oct. 8, 2025 Reportingwvlt.tv/2025/10/08/first-board-member-recommends-denying-paroling-man-convicted-job-corps-murder/
- WVLT, Oct. 20, 2025 Reportingwvlt.tv/2025/10/21/board-denies-parole-man-convicted-1995-job-corps-murder/
- WATE, Oct. 20, 2025 Reportingwate.com/news/knox-county-news/parole-denied-for-man-convicted-in-1995-knoxville-murder/
- WBIR Reportingwbir.com/article/news/crime/tadaryl-shipp-what-to-know-about-christa-pikes-co-defendant-ahead-of-her-execution/51-d688f041-7cb5-444e-85ca-f69e7c6b975b
- WSMV, Oct. 2, 2026 Reportingwsmv.com/2026/10/02/christa-pike-wasnt-only-one-who-tortured-killed-colleen-slemmer-heres-what-happened-other-2-who-were-involved/
- People, Oct. 1, 2026 Reportingyahoo.com/news/us/articles/happened-christa-pike-boyfriend-accomplice-191146649.html
- WSMV, Oct. 7, 2026 Reportingwsmv.com/2026/10/07/christa-pikes-attorneys-give-update-after-she-woke-up-failed-execution/
- WFMD / Fox News, Oct. 6, 2026 Reportingwfmd.com/2026/10/06/lethal-injection-survivor-christa-pikes-former-satanist-boyfriend-could-be-released-in-5-years/
The record · as of Oct. 14, 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
- Parole review, Tennessee Board of Parole (month only: October 2031; no day set)
Verified timeline
- 1997-01-01A Knox County Criminal Court jury convicted Tadaryl Shipp of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder (year 1997; month not 2-sourced).State v. Shipp (1998); WBIR; People; WSMV
- 1998-09-11Tenn. Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed both convictions (criminal responsibility); vacated the consecutive-sentence order and remanded.State v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9711-CR-00492 (primary)
- 2025-10-08First parole hearing at Northwest Correctional Complex; the hearing board member voted to deny and recommended review in Oct 2030.WVLT 10/8/2025; WBIR
- 2025-10-20Board of Parole denied parole 'due to the seriousness of the offense'; next review October 2031.WVLT; WATE; WBIR; People
- He was 17 at the time; his jury could not consider the death penalty. Sentence: life with the possibility of parole, plus 25 years.State v. Shipp fn.1; WBIR; WSMV; WATE
Also in our research file
- Where is Tadaryl Shipp now? ReportingWBIR · Sept. 29, 2026
- Tadaryl Shipp remains in prison SecondaryTMZ · Oct. 1, 2026
Updates and corrections
Photos: Tennessee Dept. of Correction, via WBIR; Slemmer family, via the Knoxville News Sentinel / USA TODAY Network. Map data: U.S. Census TIGER.
Shipp was convicted by a jury and the convictions were affirmed on appeal. No part of Colleen Slemmer's death is shown or recreated.
Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.
