Episode 110: Young and Deadly: Christa Pike & The Murder of Colleen Slemmer

The 1990s were a time of transformation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The city was expanding, and so were opportunities for young people in need of a second chance. For many, the local Job Corps center offered just that: a path to a better life through education and job training. Nineteen-year-old Colleen Slemmer was one of those hopeful students. She’d moved from Pennsylvania with dreams of completing a six-month course in computing, eager to build a future she could be proud of. But not everyone at Job Corps was there for redemption. Christa Pike, another student in the program, came with a different agenda. Fueled by jealousy and paranoia, she became convinced that Colleen was after her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. On January 12, 1995, what should have been a new beginning for Colleen turned into a horrifying end. Christa’s obsession would erupt into one of the most brutal murders Knoxville has ever seen, a crime that shocked the community and raised haunting questions about unchecked violence, youth, and the cracks in the systems meant to protect them.

 

Sources:

Tubi – World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners – Season 1, Episode 4 – Christa Pike

The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Rebekkah Daniels Corryton – May 19, 1996

The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says – John North – March 27, 1996

The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Pike gets death row in Job Corps slaying – John North – March 31, 1996

CBS News – Tennessee set to execute only woman on state’s death row. Here’s what to know. – Emiily Mae Czachor - Tennessee set to execute only woman on state's death row. Here's what to know.

USAToday – Tennessee is set to execute a woman for the first time in over 200 years. What did she do? – Amanda Lee Meyers – October 3, 2025 - Tennessee sets Christa Pike's execution 30 years after rival's murder

Find a Grave Memorial – Colleen Slemmer - Colleen Anne Slemmer (1975-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial

Wikipedia – Christa Pike - Christa Pike - Wikipedia

People – Tenn. Woman Set for Execution Decades After Luring Classmate to Her Death as Teen, Carving Pentagram on Victim – Samira Asma-Sadeque – October 8, 2025 - Tenn. Woman Set for Execution Decades After Luring Classmate to Her Death as Teen, Carving Pentagram on Victim

The Tennessean – There is only one woman on death row in Tennessee. Here’s what to know about Christa Pike – Evan Mealins – May 22, 2025 - What to know about Christa Pike, Tennessee's only woman on death row

WVLT8 – ‘It’s hard to deal with’ ‘Job Corps Murder’ victim’s mother continues to fight for justice in brutal Knoxville case – Jared Austin – October 8, 2025 - ‘Job Corps Murder’ victim’s mother continues to fight for justice in brutal 1995 murder

Knox News – Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says – John North – February 2, 2015 - Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says