As Christa Pike’s execution fails, her accomplice boyfriend is living a totally different life

People are once again talking about Tadaryl Shipp, Shadolla Peterson, and Christa Pike after the latter’s failed execution earlier this week. 

In 1995, the three teenagers planned to kill Colleen Slemmer. They lured her to an isolated location where Christa tortured her before killing her. She became the youngest person on death row at the age of 18, but Tadaryl Shipp got life in prison with the possibility of parole, and Shadolla recieved six years’ probation for being an accessory after the fact. 

On September 30, Christa was due to be executed after being on death row for 30 years. It failed, despite two lethal injections, and she was rushed to the hospital. 

An update on Christa Pike’s boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp

Credit: Tennessee Department of Correction

As of October 2026, Tadaryl Shipp remains incarcerated at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, where he has been for the past 17 years.

Before that, he was at Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Whiteville, but was transferred after filing a lawsuit against the prison operators. In it, he claimed that Sunni Muslim prisoners were being treated unfairly, including withholding Halal meals, but the lawsuit was dismissed in 2018. 

Though still in prison, Tadaryl Shipp’s life now is a lot different. Speaking to Unforbidden Truth earlier this year, he revealed how he’s spent the last 30 years, which has included taking college courses. He’s earned an associate degree in digital administration and is hoping to complete a bachelor’s programme next. 

Another aspect of his jail time has been spent mentoring other inmates, he told the podcast, and helping them get into education. He said it’s forced him to hold himself to a “higher standard.”

“How can I stress education to someone that’s younger than me if I’m not doing it?” he said, adding later, “I gotta be a walking example.”

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These days, you might find Tadaryl Shipp working on his music whilst he’s serving his time. He said it’s kept him “mentally free.”

He spoke a little about Christa Pike and plans for the future 

Credit: Tennessee Department of Correction

Of course, the podcast host asked him about his relationship with Christa Pike, and how he views their crimes 30 years on. 

“We’ve learned, we’ve grown, we’ve educated,” he said. “Do you want to be constantly looked at what you did thirty-one years ago?”

Once he’s released, he’s hoping to put his education to work by opening up and running a food truck business. Though he did have a parole hearing last year, the court rejected the notion due to the seriousness of the 1995 crime. 

His next hearing is in 2031. 

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Featured image credit: Tennessee Department of Correction