Colleen Slemmer Biography: Movies, Age, Parents, Cause of Death, Net Worth, Height, Family, Autopsy
Colleen Slemmer was an American Job Corps student from Orange Park, Florida, remembered as the 19-year-old victim in the 1995 Knoxville murder case that ended with Christa Pike on Tennessee’s death row.
She was born on September 20, 1975, in Orange Park, Florida, and her zodiac sign was Virgo.
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Raised by her mother, May Martinez, and stepfather, Raul Martinez, alongside a younger sister, Slemmer volunteered with the Special Olympics, helped children with disabilities, and enjoyed roller skating and bowling.
Her family describes her as compassionate, easygoing, and quick to help others. A strong aptitude for computers led her to the Knoxville Job Corps Center in Tennessee, which offered computer training unavailable near her Florida home.
On January 12, 1995, Slemmer was killed in Knoxville at 19 after being lured to a wooded area by Pike, then 18, and others. Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
Tennessee’s attempt to carry out the execution in late September 2026 failed, and Pike survived. Martinez, who now lives in Palatka, Florida, has said all she wants is justice for her daughter and is weighing legal options to learn what happened in the execution chamber.
| Colleen Slemmer | |
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Colleen Anne Slemmer |
| Stage Name: | Colleen Slemmer |
| Born: | September 20, 1975 |
| Died: | January 12, 1995 (age 19 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Orange Park, Florida, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | White |
| Education: | Knoxville Job Corps Center |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | May Martinez, Raul Martinez, Michael Deacy |
| Siblings: | 1 |
| Occupation: | Computer Technology Student |
| Net Worth: | $0 |
Early Life & Education
Colleen Anne Slemmer was born on September 20, 1975, in Orange Park, Florida, which makes her zodiac sign Virgo. She was American by nationality, White by ethnicity, and Christian by religion.
Her mother, May Martinez, raised her in Orange Park alongside her stepfather, Raul Martinez, and a younger sister. Slemmer‘s biological father, Michael Deacy, reportedly attended the 1996 trial of Christa Pike and has stayed out of public view since.
Family members remember Slemmer as friendly, easygoing, and nurturing. She volunteered with the Special Olympics, helped children and students with disabilities, and enjoyed roller skating and bowling.
Her grandfather noticed her skill with computers early and encouraged her to pursue technology as a career.
In 1994, she traveled more than 500 miles from Florida to enroll at the Knoxville Job Corps Center in Tennessee, where she studied computer technology, training that the program near her home did not offer. She was still a student there when she was killed on January 12, 1995, at 19.
Career
Colleen Slemmer had not yet entered the workforce when she was killed, so her professional path never moved past the training stage.
Her only formal career preparation was the computer technology program at the Knoxville Job Corps Center, part of a federal Job Corps program that gives young people job training and a fresh start.
Technology was the field she planned to build her future in, even though she also enjoyed working with children. Her family had noticed her skill with computers, and the Knoxville course offered instruction she could not get near her Florida home.
Her volunteer work with the Special Olympics and her habit of helping children with disabilities gave her the only work experience she had.
After her death, her name became tied to the case against Christa Pike, which has been featured on crime programs such as Deadly Women, Snapped: Killer Couples, and Mean Girl Murders.
Her mother, May Martinez, has kept her memory in public view through interviews and her long campaign for justice.
Personal Life
Colleen Slemmer was 19 years old when she died. Her family marked what would have been her 51st birthday in September 2026.
Slemmer was a student on a training course, and no husband, marriage, or children are documented in her life. This is not publicly confirmed beyond that absence of records. Her height has also not been publicly confirmed.
Slemmer‘s dating history is not publicly confirmed either. The only romantic link attached to her name came from the accusation that led to her death: Christa Pike believed Slemmer was trying to take her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. Court testimony reported at the time says Slemmer denied any romantic interest in him.
Cause of Death
How She Died
On the night of January 12, 1995, Pike, Shipp, and Shadolla Peterson signed out of the Knoxville Job Corps Center with Slemmer and led her to a wooded area near an abandoned steam plant on the University of Tennessee campus, reportedly on the promise of marijuana as a peace offering.
Pike and Shipp attacked her while Peterson stood lookout. Slemmer was beaten, cut, and killed after roughly half an hour, and a pentagram was carved into her chest. Her body was found the next day in the Tyson Park area of Knoxville.
Autopsy
The medical examiner determined that Slemmer died from blunt-force head injuries. The autopsy documented extensive skull fractures along with numerous other injuries, consistent with a large piece of asphalt being used against her skull.
The Case and Trial
The Knoxville Police Department arrested Pike, Shipp, and Peterson within 36 hours. Pike, then 18, went to trial in March 1996 and was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
A jury sentenced her to death by electrocution, finding that the killing involved torture or serious physical abuse beyond what was needed to cause death.
The Tennessee Supreme Court upheld her convictions and sentence on October 5, 1998. Shipp, 17 at the time, was sentenced to life in prison. Peterson testified against both and received probation after pleading guilty to an accessory charge.
Tennessee’s attempt to carry out Pike‘s execution on September 30, 2026, at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville failed, and Pike survived. Slemmer‘s mother, May Martinez, was present as a witness and has since said she is weighing legal options.
Grave and Burial
Slemmer‘s burial location has not been publicly confirmed. Martinez spent years seeking the return of a missing fragment of her daughter’s skull so she could be laid to rest whole, a fight that became a defining part of the family’s efforts after the trial.
Documentaries and Media
The case has been covered on Investigation Discovery, including the Mean Girl Murders episode “She-Devil“, which aired on May 20, 2024.
It has also appeared on Snapped: Killer Couples and Deadly Women. Podcasts including Married 2 Murder, Method and Madness, and The Cult of Christa have each devoted an episode to Slemmer‘s story.
Net Worth
Colleen Slemmer has a net worth of $0. She died at 19 while still a trainee at the Knoxville Job Corps Center, before she had started a paid career, so she had no documented earnings, assets, or business ventures.
Her public profile comes entirely from the 1995 case and her mother May Martinez‘s long campaign for justice, not from any wealth or professional achievement.
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