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The Deadly Obsession of Christa Pike: The Devil in the Details
Born on March 10, 1976, Christa Pike grew up with a difficult family life. Her troubled upbringing involved abuse, neglect, and struggles with mental health—factors that, while tragic, would never justify the choices she made as a young woman. By her late teens, Christa found herself at Job Corps, a program designed to help troubled young adults get back on track by providing them with education and training. Here, she met and quickly fell for 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp, a charismatic young man who would become more than just a boyfriend. Together, they would ignite a deadly obsession.

The Backstory: Love, Obsession, and Dark Beliefs
Christa Pike and Tadaryl Shipp’s relationship was intense and volatile. They were both drawn to the occult, dabbling in devil worship and dark rituals, something that set them apart and fed their shared intensity. Pike’s obsession with Shipp was fierce, almost possessive, and she was jealous of anyone she thought might interfere. | One person, in particular, fueled Christa’s jealousy: Colleen Slemmer. Colleen, a fellow Job Corps student, had reportedly irritated Christa with minor slights. Pike became convinced that Colleen was trying to seduce Tadaryl, a suspicion that spiraled quickly in her mind. 

The Crime: A Night of Horror
On January 12, 1995, Christa Pike, Tadaryl Shipp, and a mutual friend named Shadolla Peterson lured Colleen Slemmer into a secluded, wooded area on the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus in Knoxville. Colleen thought they were going for a walk, perhaps to resolve whatever tension had built up between them. But what awaited her was no peace talk—it was a nightmare. | For the next thirty minutes, Colleen endured torture at the hands of Christa and Tadaryl. Christa Pike smashed Colleen’s skull with a large chunk of asphalt, ultimately killing her. But Pike wasn’t finished. As a final, chilling souvenir, she kept a piece of Colleen’s skull, carrying it with her as if it were a trophy of her conquest.

The Aftermath: An Unraveled Crime
Christa Pike’s arrogance proved to be her undoing. Bragging about the murder to friends, she showed off the fragment of Colleen’s skull as though it were a badge of honor. News of her boasting quickly spread through the Job Corps community and reached the ears of authorities. Within 36 hours, Christa Pike and Tadaryl Shipp were arrested. | During questioning, Pike showed no remorse, relaying the horrific details of the murder with chilling indifference. The physical evidence against her was overwhelming, including Colleen’s blood on her clothes and the skull fragment she had so brazenly kept as a memento. | In 1996, Christa Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder. The court, clearly appalled by the brutality of the crime, sentenced her to death. She was just 20 years old, making her the youngest woman on death row in the United States at the time.

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