Colleen Slemmer's Killer Christa Pike Labeled 'Pure Evil' By Former Knoxville Police Chief
In a recent interview, former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith called 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer's killer, Christa Pike, 'pure evil'.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleChrista Pike’s execution went terribly wrong on September 30, 2026. Following the botched execution, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee stopped all executions in the state for the rest of 2026 and ordered an independent investigation to find out exactly what went wrong during Pike’s execution attempt. She was administered two doses of pentobarbital. It’s been more than three decades since Christa killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.
Now, in an interview, former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith opened up about the 1995 murder case.
Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith breaks his silence on 1995 Colleen Slemmer murder case
Phil Keith had been the city’s chief of police from 1988 until 2004 and spent decades in law enforcement. He closely observed the 1995 Colleen Slemmer murder case. For those unaware, 19-year-old Colleen was murdered by the then 18-year-old Christa Pike and her then-boyfriend, 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp.
According to reports, Christa lured Slemmer to a park by telling her they wanted to visit a music store and collect marijuana they had hidden there. Speaking to Fox News Digital, the former Knoxville Police Chief shared that he would remember the 1995 murder case till his death. Phil called Christa Pike 'pure evil'. He said:
"She represents pure evil. I’ll remember this case to the day I die."
Keith revealed Colleen was tortured for almost an hour before she was killed. Christa, along with Tadaryl, beat her, cut her, and stopped her from screaming. When Slemmer tried to escape, they held her down. When she begged for her life, they slashed her with blades. Pike kept a fragment of Slemmer’s skull as a trophy and showed it off to her classmates before her arrest.
According to Christa, Colleen reportedly had insulted her and was trying to take her boyfriend away from her. In 1996, Pike was given the death penalty, and Tadaryl Shipp, who was 17 back then, was given a life sentence with the possibility of parole, and he remains in prison.
More about Christa Pike's botched execution
Christa Pike was scheduled to be executed at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. According to her attorneys, 50-year-old Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, but had not lost consciousness. The botched execution took a serious toll on Christa, and she was taken to an undisclosed hospital. Her attorneys told TMZ that Pike was unconscious and was critically ill.
The botched execution left Colleen Slemmer’s parents, May Martinez and Raul Martinez, even more devastated, as they have been waiting 31 years for justice. The couple drove 11 hours from Florida to Tennessee so that they could attend Pike’s execution at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. In an interview with PEOPLE, May revealed she spent 12 hours at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution waiting to see Christa Pike be executed for killing her daughter, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, in 1995.
The couple arrived at 8:30 a.m. and did not leave the viewing room until 8 p.m., after the second failed attempt to administer a lethal injection to Pike. After the failed execution, May and Raul were taken into the next room where they waited over an hour to speak with the commissioner. May said that the commissioner told them Pike was taken to the hospital, but he did not know much about the lethal injection and whether Christa was going to be alive or dead. According to the latest reports, Christa is in a critical condition and is on a ventilator.
An interviewer named Helen Roberts interviewed Christa Pike 20 years ago when she was 30 years old. During the interview, Pike told Helen that she was deeply sorry for what she did. She also admitted that the night she killed Colleen, she had lost her mind.
What do you think about Christa Pike's botched execution? Let us know.
Pic credit: Knoxville News Sentinel, Reuters
Also Read: Chad Lowe's Eldest Daughter, Mabel Speaks Out Days After Sibling Fiona's Death, 'I Hope You Knew..'
