According to investigators, Christa became convinced — without evidence — that Colleen was interested in Tadaryl. It began as a small insecurity, then grew into suspicion, and eventually evolved into a consuming obsession. Trauma, instability, and emotional wounds often distort reality, and in Christa’s case, those distortions became overpowering.
There was no proof that Colleen had any romantic interest in Tadaryl. Yet in Christa’s mind, the threat felt real, personal, and unforgivable. That internal fear grew day by day, and as her emotional state deteriorated, the dynamics among the three young women took a dark turn.
None of them understood that the tensions rising among them were about to explode in a way that would change their lives — and the state’s legal history — forever.
The Days Leading to Tragedy
On January 12, 1995, a cold and ordinary winter day in Knoxville, Christa devised a plan. She convinced Colleen to walk with her into a wooded area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus. She claimed they needed to talk, to clear the air, to resolve the supposed conflict.
Colleen, unaware of the danger, trusted them enough to go.
What followed, according to investigators, medical examiners, and court records, remains one of the most chilling acts of violence in Tennessee history.
Once inside the woods, Christa’s jealousy erupted into a brutal attack. Prosecutors later revealed that she used a box cutter to injure Colleen, then struck her with a meat cleaver, carved a pentagram into her chest, and ultimately used a piece of asphalt to crush her skull. The brutality of the attack stunned even veteran detectives.
But the most disturbing detail came later: Christa kept a piece of Colleen’s skull, wrapped in a napkin, and carried it with her.
During police questioning, according to retired detective Randy York, she laughed, giggled, and demonstrated how the fragment fit into the skull “like a puzzle.”
