Tennessee prison chief resigns after botched execution leaves inmate critical

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada has resigned after a failed execution attempt left death row inmate Christa Pike in critical condition, The Journal reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Pike survived two lethal injections at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. [1][2][3]

The Journal reported that the 50 year old inmate was given two lethal injections of phenobarbital, a drug that suppresses nervous system activity. Media witnesses listened to her snoring for about an hour after the doses were administered and confirmed she was still alive when they were ushered out of the viewing area. [1]

Pike was subsequently rushed to a hospital where she was critically ill, unconscious, and placed on a ventilator while medical personnel worked to clear the phenobarbital from her system, according to The Journal. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended all executions in the state for the remainder of the year pending an independent investigation into the incident. [2][3]