#Taradyl Shipp

[criminol]

Christa Pike: The Youngest American Woman Sentenced To Death

Christa Gail Pike is an American convicted murderer and was sentenced to death at only 20 years of age for a torture/ murder she committed when she was 18. Pike is said to have had a troubled childhood, she dropped out of school and was offered various government training programmes granted to those with low income. Pike began dating Taradyl Shipp. The couple developed an interest in the occult and devil worship.

Pike grew increasingly jealous of Colleen Slemmer, a classmate she thought was trying to steal her boyfriend. Friends of Colleen's state she had no such attentions. Regardless, Shipp and Pike became obsessed with the idea that Colleen should be 'sacrificied in the name of Satan.' Along with a friend, Shadolla Peterson, Pike lured Colleen to an isolated place near the University of Tennessee campus.

On 12th January 1995, Pike, Peterson, Ship and Colleen signed out of the dormitory. Colleen was under the impression they were going to make peace with her by offering her marijuana. When Colleen arrived at the location Peterson acted as a lookout while Pike and Shipp attacked her. Colleen was taunted, beaten, slashed and a pentagram had been carved into her chest. Finally, Pike slammed Colleen's skull with a rock, killing her. Pike kept a piece of her victim's skull as a trophy.

Pike began to show off, even showing the piece of Colleen's skull, to others around the school. Within 36 hours, the three were arrested. Pike was found to have part of the skull in her jacket pocket. The logbook showed four of them left but only three returned. Pike confessed to torturing and killing Colleen but claimed she had just been trying to scare her and not kill her.

Pike was charged and found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, she was sentenced to death and remains on death row. Shipp received a life sentence. Peterson, who became an informant for a more lenient sentence, received probation for being an accessory to the crime.

While in prison in August 2001, Pike attacked and attempted to strangle a fellow inmate, almost succeeded in choking her to death.