Christa Pike’s botched execution attempt after surviving two lethal doses has hit Colleen Slemmer’s grieving mother like a blow. After waiting 31 years waiting for her daughter’s justice, May Martinez had travelled all the way from Florida to Tennessee for a front-row view of Colleen’s killer’s final moments. However, even after two lethal doses, Pike was “alive and snoring” and is now hospitalized under life-saving treatment.
When Colleen Slemmer was killed in January 1995, Pike was not the only person involved; she had two accomplices. Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, were convicted of Slemmer’s killing. A third person, Shadolla Peterson, was also present that night. More than three decades later, she has largely disappeared from the public eye.
What was Shadolla Peterson’s role in Colleen Slemmer’s murder?
Peterson was also a student at Knoxville Job Corps alongside Pike, Shipp, and Slemmer. According to court records, Pike invited Slemmer to leave the dorm with her, Shipp, and Peterson on the night of January 12, 1995. The group eventually went to an isolated wooded area near the University of Tennessee campus.
Pike and Shipp then attacked Slemmer. Court testimony established that Slemmer was tortured and killed during the attack. Peterson was also present at the scene, but she acted as a lookout, according to testimony and court records.
There were conflicting accounts about whether Peterson physically participated in the assault herself. Shipp reportedly told investigators that Peterson had struck Slemmer, but prosecutor Jo Helm argued that there was insufficient evidence to establish that she physically participated in the killing.
Peterson was also initially charged with first-degree murder along with Pike and Shipp. All three accomplices were arrested within about 36 hours after Slemmer’s severely slashed body was discovered. However, rather than proceed to trial on the murder charge, Peterson agreed to cooperate with authorities and testify against the other two defendants. She reportedly cooperated with the prosecutors throughout the trial.
Peterson pleaded guilty to an information charge of being an accessory after first-degree murder. In exchange for her cooperation and testimony, she received 460 days in jail followed by six years of probation. The agreement upset Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, who later said she believed Peterson should have faced a trial. Martinez told Knox News:
“I’m very, very angry about it. I think if they gave her a trial or some kind of thing with a judge and jury, she probably would have gotten more.”
Prosecutors, however, defended the decision, arguing about the lack of sufficient evidence to convict Shadolla Peterson of murder. Her attorney and public defender Mark Stephens maintained that while she had been present at the scene, she had no idea that Pike and Shipp intended to kill Slemmer. She allegedly did not participate in the fatal attack.
Christa and Tadaryl were both convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy in Colleen Slemmer’s death. Pike, who was 18 at the time, received a death sentence. However, Shipp was still a minor, being 17, which made him ineligible for the death penalty under Tennessee law. He ultimately received a life sentence, and his first parole bid was rejected earlier this year.
Where is Shadolla Peterson now?
Peterson completed her jail sentence and six years of probation in Tennessee. Since then, she has maintained a private life and stayed largely out of the public spotlight. She has rarely spoken publicly about Slemmer’s murder. She has also not publicly commented on Pike’s recent failed execution attempt.
Pike’s lethal injection was carried out on September 30, 2026, after courts cleared the way for Tennessee to proceed following a last-hour halt. But the execution failed terribly. She remained alive after two doses of lethal-injection drugs and was eventually transported to a hospital for medical treatment. She remains hospitalized following the botched execution, while Shipp continues to serve his life sentence.
More than 30 years later, little is publicly known about what Peterson is doing today. What remains documented is her role as an accomplice who was present during Slemmer’s killing, her cooperation with prosecutors, and the plea deal that allowed her to avoid a murder conviction.
After Christa Pike’s botched execution, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has halted all remaining executions in 2026 amid an ongoing investigation. Whether Pike will be executed again is currently uncertain.
Image courtesy: Tennessee Department of Correction, WBIR10/YouTube, social media
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