The head of the Tennessee Department of Correction is stepping down following the failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike, who remained alive despite being administered lethal injection drugs.
In a court filing, Pike’s attorneys said the failed execution on September 30 left her unconscious, requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. It marked the state’s second unsuccessful execution attempt this year, prompting Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to suspend further executions for the remainder of 2026.
On October 3, Lee announced that Frank Strada had resigned as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction and would leave his position later in October. The governor also ordered an independent review of the execution attempt at Riverbend prison in Nashville, the state capital.
In a separate statement, Strada said that although he believed employees at his department had followed established procedures, stepping down was “in the best interest of the people of Tennessee while the independent review is underway.”
Pike’s attorneys accused correctional officials of ignoring earlier warnings from her doctor. According to the lawyers, Pike’s small veins and a blood disorder made establishing an intravenous line to administer the drugs particularly difficult.
Pike, 50, was convicted of first-degree murder three decades ago for her role in the 1995 torture and killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime.
Her attorneys said on October 2 that doctors were working to save Pike’s life and remove the lethal drug pentobarbital from her system.
Sources: kenh14
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