[UPDATE] Tennessee corrections chief Frank Strada will step down after the failed Christa Pike execution
Strada insists his department followed protocol; a former U.S. attorney will run an independent review.
Gov. Bill Lee (Gov-R Tennessee) said Saturday, Oct. 3, that Strada will leave this month and former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton will lead an independent review. Pike is still unconscious on a ventilator after she survived two doses of pentobarbital.
PREVIOUSLY
- Sept. 30 — A 6th Circuit panel voted 2-1 to halt Pike's execution about an hour before it began. The Supreme Court lifted the stay hours later, with its three liberals dissenting.
- Sept. 30 — Pike, 50, survived two pentobarbital doses after about an hour of tries to place an IV. Tennessee called off its last execution of 2026.
- Oct. 2 — Pike lay unconscious on a ventilator. Her lawyers moved to preserve evidence. Republican lawmakers sought a review of the single-drug method.
Key facts:
- Strada: 'I continue to believe the department carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol.' He said he is stepping aside for the good of Tennesseans.
- Pike's lawyers say at least 7 needles went into her left arm. They call the failure 'systemic' and 'far beyond any one person.'
- Lawyers count 5 'botched' executions under Strada in Tennessee and Arizona since 2022, per The Guardian. He became commissioner in 2023.