Accomplice in 1995 Satanic Murder Denied Parole, Next Hearing in 2031

Tadaryl Shipp, an accomplice in the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been denied parole and will not be eligible for another hearing until 2031. Shipp was 17 years old at the time of the crime, which involved "satanic elements" and has continued to haunt investigators.

Prosecutors accused Shipp of holding Slemmer down as she attempted to escape and of carving pentagrams into her chest and face. The crime scene was described by former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith as one of the worst he witnessed in his nearly 34 years on the force. Due to his age, Shipp was not eligible for the death penalty. He received a sentence of life in prison for first-degree murder and an additional 25 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Court documents revealed Shipp had explored satanism in his youth, and "satanic paraphernalia" was found in his dorm room. He and Pike were reportedly wearing pentagram pendants when they were arrested. Shipp has since adopted the alias Abdul Khalip and previously filed a federal lawsuit in 2016 seeking access to halal food and Islamic prayer oils while incarcerated.

Shipp's first parole hearing was in October 2025, where he was denied. His next opportunity for parole is scheduled for October 2031. His most recent mugshot, taken in June 2024, shows him with glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard.

The case has re-entered public consciousness following a recent, botched lethal injection attempt on Christa Pike, Shipp's co-defendant and former girlfriend. Pike, who was convicted of slashing Slemmer dozens of times and crushing her head with a piece of asphalt, survived two doses of lethal injection drugs and remains hospitalized. Pike had requested an alternate method of execution. A third suspect, Shadolla Peterson, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against Pike and Shipp.