The state’s top corrections officer is leaving his post following the failed execution of Christa Pike, a development that leaves the condemned woman hospitalized, intubated and struggling for life while an investigation gets underway.
Gov. Bill Lee announced Saturday that Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada will resign this month. Lee offered no further details beyond confirming the departure. Strada himself said in a statement that he believes “the Department carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol,” but that “stepping aside is in the best interest” of the state’s residents as an independent review ordered by Lee gets underway.
“I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred,” Strada said. He was named commissioner by Lee in January 2023.
The Execution That Failed Twice
Wednesday was the day Pike was scheduled for execution by lethal injection, but the procedure failed twice. On Friday, her lawyers reported that she is now unconscious and intubated at a Nashville-area hospital. They said she is being kept alive with a ventilator and has suffered serious arm injuries. Staff at the hospital are attempting to clear the pentobarbital from her system.
Pike’s lawyers said Friday that the Tennessee Department of Correction IV team did not seem to realize that Pike’s IVs were not correctly placed or that her veins had blown, allowing the pentobarbital to enter Pike’s body.
A statement released Saturday by her lawyers described Strada’s resignation as “justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now.”.
What the Review Will Look Into
Strada expressed his readiness to assist with determining precisely what transpired during the procedure, a stance he took following the independent review ordered by Lee after the execution attempt. That review will focus on whether the Department adhered to its established protocol, and whether the IV team recognized that Pike’s veins had blown before the pentobarbital entered her body.
In a court filing, Pike’s legal team asked for an order compelling the Tennessee Department of Correction to hold onto all material tied to the failed execution attempt. The department has responded by saying it “followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office.”.
Pike’s Case Against Slemmer
The Supreme Court’s ruling allowed Pike’s execution to move forward, making her the first woman set to be put to death in Tennessee since the 1800s. She received a death sentence for the 1995 murder of her former classmate, Colleen Slemmer. Court documents show that Pike and Slemmer were students at the Job Corps Center in Knoxville when Pike, then 18, allegedly tortured and killed her over comments Slemmer, 19, had made about her relationship. Pike is now 50.
The Remaining Executions Are Off
Tennessee’s governor has halted all the remaining executions set for the rest of the year, on top of the independent review he ordered.
The Legal Fight Over Evidence
Lawyers representing Pike submitted a request to the court, asking it to instruct the Tennessee Department of Correction to hold onto every piece of evidence tied to the failed execution attempt. Their goal is to keep records, video and witness statements from the botched effort safe so they can be used in any future examination.
The Department has pushed back, saying it “followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office.” That position puts the agency’s account of the procedure directly against the description from Pike’s lawyers, who say the IV team appeared unaware that Pike’s veins had blown.
Key Facts Box
- Resignation: Frank Strada, Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner
- Date announced: Saturday
- Execution date: Wednesday
- Failed attempts: Twice
- Attorney’s response: “Justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now”
- Review ordered by: Gov. Bill Lee
- Executions canceled for the rest of the year: All remaining scheduled executions in Tennessee
The review aims to establish whether the Department stuck to its protocol and whether the IV team spotted that Pike’s veins had blown. How Tennessee deals with future executions may depend on the result.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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