Christa Pike’s Former Boyfriend Won’t Face Parole Review for Another Five Years After 1995 Murder

As questions continue surrounding Christa Pike’s failed execution attempt in Tennessee, attention has also returned to the man who was convicted alongside her in the shocking 1995 murder of their classmate.

Tadaryl Shipp, now 49, was just 17 years old when he and his then-girlfriend, Christa Pike, were involved in the killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville, Tennessee.

According to Fox News, Shipp’s next parole hearing is scheduled for October 2031, five years after his most recent review. He was denied parole in October 2025.

A Crime That Shocked Investigators

Pike and Shipp were students at the Knoxville Job Corps when Slemmer was killed in January 1995. Prosecutors said the pair lured their classmate to a secluded wooded area, where she was tortured and murdered.

Investigators said the crime involved disturbing elements that drew intense public attention at the time. A third individual, Shadolla Peterson, later pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against Pike and Shipp.

Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Shipp was also convicted of murder, but because he was 17 at the time of the crime, he received a life sentence with the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty.

Where Shipp’s Case Stands Today

Shipp remains incarcerated in Tennessee. He has used the name Abdul Khalip and previously sought access to religious accommodations while in prison.

His next parole hearing is not expected until 2031, meaning he will remain in prison for at least the coming years unless his circumstances change through another legal process.

Renewed Attention After Pike’s Failed Execution

Pike, now 50, recently survived a failed lethal-injection execution attempt on September 30, 2026. She was hospitalized before being returned to the prison where she has spent more than three decades on death row.

The failed execution has raised new questions about Tennessee’s execution procedures, while the cases of Pike and Shipp continue to draw attention to the long-term consequences of the 1995 killing.

The case remains a painful chapter for Slemmer’s family, who have spent decades living with the loss of their daughter.

Source: Fox News

Additional source: PEOPLE