Tennessee Killer Who Kept Victim’s Skull as “Souvenir” to Become First Woman Executed in State in Over 200 Years
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The Tennessee Supreme Court has approved the execution of Christa Gail Pike, a convicted murderer who brutally killed a 19-year-old woman in 1995 and later boasted that she would be “eating breakfast with” the victim’s skull. Pike, now 49, will become the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than two centuries.
Execution Date and Court Order
In a ruling issued this week, the state’s highest court set Pike’s execution date for September 30, 2026, rejecting her request for commutation or further appeals. The execution will take place at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, where the majority of Tennessee’s death row inmates are held.
The justices found that Pike had failed to show any extenuating circumstances that would warrant clemency, effectively clearing the way for her death sentence to proceed.
The 1995 Torture and Murder of Colleen Slemmer
At just 18 years old, Pike and two accomplices — Tadaryl Shipp, 17, and Shadolla Peterson, 18 — lured fellow Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer, 19, into a wooded area near the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on the night of January 12, 1995.
Believing Slemmer was trying to steal her boyfriend, Pike launched a prolonged and sadistic attack that lasted more than an hour. Using a box cutter, Pike carved a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest, beat her with chunks of asphalt, and slashed her repeatedly.
Prosecutors later revealed that Pike kept a piece of Slemmer’s skull as a “souvenir.”
A groundskeeper discovered the remains the following morning but initially did not realize they were human because the victim had been beaten so severely.
Pike’s Boasts After the Killing
Court records describe Pike as smiling and singing “la, la, la” while recounting the murder to another Job Corps student, Kim Iloilo, later that night.
Pike allegedly told Iloilo that she and her accomplices cut the victim’s throat six times, carved symbols into her body, and threw asphalt at her head until she stopped moving.
When Iloilo asked what Pike had done with the piece of skull, Pike reportedly replied, “It’s in my pocket. And yes, I’m eating breakfast with it.”
Investigators testified that Pike showed no remorse during interrogation and had told classmates the day before the murder that she “just felt mean that day.”
Co-Defendants’ Sentences
Both of Pike’s accomplices were convicted in connection with the killing.
- Tadaryl Shipp, Pike’s boyfriend at the time, was sentenced to life in prison.
- Shadolla Peterson, who served as a lookout during the attack, cooperated with prosecutors and received probation.
Pike was the only participant sentenced to death — a punishment upheld by state and federal courts over the last two decades despite multiple appeals.
Historical Context
If carried out, Pike’s execution will mark the first execution of a woman in Tennessee since the early 1800s. She remains the youngest woman ever sentenced to death in the United States during the modern era of capital punishment.
The state is required to notify Pike by August 28, 2026, of the method of execution, which could be lethal injection or electrocution, depending on current statutes and inmate choice.
The case has haunted Tennessee for decades — both for its brutality and Pike’s lack of remorse. For continuing coverage on major criminal cases and justice updates, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.