Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution of Christa Pike

The commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, Frank Strada, has resigned following a botched execution attempt of death row inmate Christa Pike on Wednesday. France 24, the BBC, The Hill, The Guardian, and Sky News all reported the resignation, which Governor Bill Lee announced on Saturday. [1][2][3][4][5]

France 24 and the BBC both report that Pike remains in critical condition after surviving two lethal injections. According to AP News, attorneys for Pike stated that she is unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. France 24 and The Guardian reported that Governor Lee has suspended further executions while an independent investigation takes place. [1][2][4][8]

In a joint statement cited by the BBC, Strada stated that his resignation was in the best interests of the state and called the ongoing investigation appropriate. The Guardian reported that Strada will officially leave his post later in October. Pike's lawyers said the failure goes far beyond any one person, according to the BBC. [2][4]

Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1995 murder of classmate Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during the execution attempt on Wednesday. [10][14]