Frank Strada, the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, is resigning following the failed execution of death row prisoner Christa Pike. Governor Bill Lee announced on Saturday that Strada will leave his position later in October as the state launches an independent investigation to determine what went wrong during the botched lethal injection attempt on Wednesday.
Christa Pike, a convicted murderer, remains in critical condition after surviving two doses of anesthetic. According to her lawyers, Pike is currently unconscious, intubated, and on a ventilator in a hospital.
This incident marks the second botched execution in Tennessee this year. In response, Governor Lee, who had previously denied Pike clemency, has halted all further executions for the remainder of the year while a review is conducted.
Strada stated that stepping aside is in the best interests of the state during the independent review. Despite the failure, he insisted that his team followed protocol throughout the execution process.