Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith remains haunted by the brutal 1993 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a crime he describes as ‘satanic’ and one he will ‘remember to the day I die.’ The horrific event, orchestrated by then-18-year-old Christa Pike and two classmates from the Knoxville Job Corps Center, involved luring Slemmer to her death under false pretenses. Keith detailed the nearly hour-long torture, which included beating, cutting, and gagging Slemmer before her skull was crushed with asphalt. Pike, now 50, kept a fragment of Slemmer’s skull as a trophy, while her then-17-year-old boyfriend carved pentagrams into the victim’s chest and face. An expert testified at trial that the attack displayed ‘satanic elements’ and ‘collective aggression.’ The gruesome discovery by a groundskeeper, who initially mistook the remains for an animal carcass, still vividly haunts Keith, who laments the lack of post-trauma therapy for investigators at the time. Pike was recently scheduled for execution, but a botched lethal injection attempt left her in critical condition, highlighting the enduring trauma of this deeply disturbing case.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
