The Dark Oak

Christa Gail Pike, born in 1976, endured severe childhood trauma including prolonged sexual abuse as a toddler by her paternal grandmother Delfa Clark Pike’s boyfriend (Ernest Johnson) and further abuse around age 11, along with neglect, instability, and other violence that experts later cited as contributing to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, PTSD, and mental health issues. In January 1995, at age 18, she and accomplices Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson lured 19-year-old fellow Job Corps trainee Colleen Slemmer into woods near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where Pike tortured her for roughly 30–45 minutes (carving a pentagram into her chest, beating her, and ultimately killing her with a rock) in a jealousy-driven attack over a boyfriend; Pike kept a piece of the victim’s skull as a souvenir. She was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, receiving the death penalty (Shipp got life with parole; Peterson a shorter sentence after cooperating). After decades of appeals focused on mitigation evidence, ineffective counsel, and proportionality, she remained on Tennessee’s death row. On September 30, 2026, her lethal injection was botched due to repeated IV access failures and extravasation; the procedure was halted, leaving her alive with medical complications. An independent review, preserved evidence, ongoing Eighth Amendment litigation over the execution process, and clemency advocacy are now expected to shape whether and how any future execution proceeds. Sources: Tennessee Supreme Court OpinionState v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998). Mitigation / Expert ReportsBethany Brand, Ph.D., Forensic Psychological Evaluation of Christa Gail Pike (2023), reprinted in Appendix C to Petition for Writ of Certiorari, Pike v. Tennessee, No. 26-5696 (U.S. Sept. 25, 2026); see also The Guardian, Tennessee Says Child Rapists Deserve to Die. Now It Prepares to Execute One of Their Victims (Sept. 5, 2026). Accounts of the September 30, 2026 Execution AttemptEvan Mealins & Kirsten Fiscus, Tennessee to Review Procedures After Botched Christa Pike Execution, Tennessean (Sept. 30, 2026); Christa Pike Makes First Public Comments Since Botched Execution, CNN (Oct. 30, 2026); Christa Pike Says She’s in Constant Pain After Failed Execution, Associated Press (Oct. 30, 2026). Accomplice Cases and Parole ProceedingsState v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9710-CR-00448 (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 11, 1998); Tadaryl Shipp Parole Denied, Tenn. Bd. of Parole (Oct. 20, 2025); Where Christa Pike’s Co-Conspirators Tadaryl Shipp & Shadolla Peterson Are Now, The Sun (Oct. 8, 2026). Post-Execution Litigation and Clemency MaterialsOrder Preserving Evidence, Pike v. Tenn. Dep’t of Corr. (Tenn. Ch. Ct. Oct. 7, 2026); Christa Pike Requests Clemency Ahead of September 30 Execution Date, Death Penalty Info. Ctr. (Sept. 14, 2026); How Christa Pike Will Fight Tennessee’s Next Execution Try, Nolo (Oct. 13, 2026). Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Christa Gail Pike, born in 1976, endured severe childhood trauma including prolonged sexual abuse as a toddler by her paternal grandmother Delfa Clark Pike’s boyfriend (Ernest Johnson) and further abuse around age 11, along with neglect, instability, and other violence that experts later cited as contributing to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, PTSD, and mental health issues. In January 1995, at age 18, she and accomplices Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson lured 19-year-old fellow Job Corps trainee Colleen Slemmer into woods near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where Pike tortured her for roughly 30–45 minutes (carving a pentagram into her chest, beating her, and ultimately killing her with a rock) in a jealousy-driven attack over a boyfriend; Pike kept a piece of the victim’s skull as a souvenir. She was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, receiving the death penalty (Shipp got life with parole; Peterson a shorter sentence after cooperating). After decades of appeals focused on mitigation evidence, ineffective counsel, and proportionality, she remained on Tennessee’s death row. On September 30, 2026, her lethal injection was botched due to repeated IV access failures and extravasation; the procedure was halted, leaving her alive with medical complications. An independent review, preserved evidence, ongoing Eighth Amendment litigation over the execution process, and clemency advocacy are now expected to shape whether and how any future execution proceeds. Sources: Tennessee Supreme Court OpinionState v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998). Mitigation / Expert ReportsBethany Brand, Ph.D., Forensic Psychological Evaluation of Christa Gail Pike (2023), reprinted in Appendix C to Petition for Writ of Certiorari, Pike v. Tennessee, No. 26-5696 (U.S. Sept. 25, 2026); see also The Guardian, Tennessee Says Child Rapists Deserve to Die. Now It Prepares to Execute One of Their Victims (Sept. 5, 2026). Accounts of the September 30, 2026 Execution AttemptEvan Mealins & Kirsten Fiscus, Tennessee to Review Procedures After Botched Christa Pike Execution, Tennessean (Sept. 30, 2026); Christa Pike Makes First Public Comments Since Botched Execution, CNN (Oct. 30, 2026); Christa Pike Says She’s in Constant Pain After Failed Execution, Associated Press (Oct. 30, 2026). Accomplice Cases and Parole ProceedingsState v. Shipp, No. 03C01-9710-CR-00448 (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 11, 1998); Tadaryl Shipp Parole Denied, Tenn. Bd. of Parole (Oct. 20, 2025); Where Christa Pike’s Co-Conspirators Tadaryl Shipp & Shadolla Peterson Are Now, The Sun (Oct. 8, 2026). Post-Execution Litigation and Clemency MaterialsOrder Preserving Evidence, Pike v. Tenn. Dep’t of Corr. (Tenn. Ch. Ct. Oct. 7, 2026); Christa Pike Requests Clemency Ahead of September 30 Execution Date, Death Penalty Info. Ctr. (Sept. 14, 2026); How Christa Pike Will Fight Tennessee’s Next Execution Try, Nolo (Oct. 13, 2026). Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

The disappearance and death of Chris Jenkins remains one of Minnesota’s most baffling unsolved mysteries. On October 31, 2002, the 21-year-old University of Minnesota business student and lacrosse team captain vanished after celebrating Halloween with friends in downtown Minneapolis. His body was recovered months later, sparking a long investigation that shifted from a ruled accident to an active homicide case. While investigators identified potential suspects—including a man in prison for an unrelated violent crime, no one has ever been charged. The case gained broader national attention when retired detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte theorized that Jenkins was the victim of the speculative "Smiley Face Murder" theory. They alleged a network of killers was targeting high-achieving college men across the Midwest, leaving smiley face graffiti near drowning sites. However, law enforcement and the FBI have largely dismissed this theory, and Chris Jenkins’ murder officially remains unsolved. Sources: https://abcnews.com/GMA/story?id=4738621&page=1 https://www.mprnews.org/story/2006/11/20/jenkins https://www.twincities.com/2009/09/23/jenkins-family-continues-push-for-awareness-in-case-of-murdered-son/ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38601514 https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Missing-College-Student-Found-Dead-7085877.php Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Ieshia Nicole Jackson, a 22-year-old from El Dorado, Arkansas, disappeared in early November 2020 after attending a Halloween party and traveling to Houston, Texas, with relatives (her aunt Shakila and uncle William Parker Jr.). Police confirmed the trip and treat her last verified sighting as the evening of November 4, when the relatives dropped her off at her South Roselawn apartment around 9 p.m.; she left her phone and wallet inside, and the door was later found cracked open. Family members, including her mother Laquita Parker and brother Ji’quez Jackson, had already discovered the apartment in that state early on November 2 after losing contact, creating an unresolved timeline discrepancy. No remains or definitive trace of her have ever been found, though foul play is suspected. She had reported prior break-ins involving her ex-boyfriend Semajee Dismuke, who was briefly arrested in connection with her case (and later released without formal charges) and was separately sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for child sexual assault offenses. The case remains open and active, with family advocacy continuing and a reward offered for information. Sources: Iesha Jackson Is Still Missing | The Steve Wilkos Show The Charley Project – charleyproject.org/case/ieshia-nicole-jacksonMyArkLaMiss / KTVE – : iesha-jackson-a-clearer-timeline-unfoldsUncovered.com (or KATV) – uncovered.com/cases/iesha-jackson-el-dorado-ar Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

On October 31, 1987, Wichita, Kansas, was shaken when 15-year-old Shannon Olson, left her friend group and never returned. The following day two fishermen found Shannon's lifeless body floating in a sand pit. Rumors that Shannon's death had been related to the occult began swirling. At the time of Shannon's death, America was experiencing the phenomenon known as "Satanic Panic" which helped to fuel these theories. Sources: Shannon Olson Unsolved Homicide Case | Wichita, Kansas | Wichita Police Department (KS) | Solve the Case 'The killer changed those plans': 1987 Wichita Halloween cold case still a mystery to detectives | Special Content | kake.com Murdered: Shannon Olson | Wichita, KS | Uncovered Six-Year Investigation Reexamines the Fager Family Murders and Corrects Longstanding Public Narrative | Alternative Eye Crime Reads » How ‘Satanic Panic’ Came to Roil the Nation During the 1980s Disappearances & Dragons: The James Dallas Egbert III Story | The Saturday Evening Post Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep