Tennessee prison chief Strada resigns after Christa Pike’s failed execution

By Jones Gadama Blantyre-Maravipost

The prison commissioner in the US state of Tennessee has resigned following a botched execution, according to a report by CNA.

Governor Bill Lee announced on Saturday, October 3, that Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada will step down from his position this month.

His resignation comes just days after the failed execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike on Wednesday.

According to CNA, Pike, aged 50, survived two doses of lethal injection. Her lawyers have told the media that she is currently in critical condition, unconscious and on a ventilator in hospital.

Pike was convicted for the murder of Colleen Slemmer in 1995. The report states that if the execution had been successful, she would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

Governor Lee thanked Strada for his service, saying he was willing to put the interests of Tennesseans first during this difficult moment.

On his part, Strada defended his team, stating that the department carried out its responsibilities in accordance with established protocol.

CNA further reports that this is the second failed execution in Tennessee this year.

In May, another execution was halted after officials failed to tap a vein in the prisoner’s arm.

Following the latest incident, Governor Lee, who had previously denied Pike clemency, has halted all executions for the remainder of the year while a review is conducted.

According to data from the Death Penalty Information Center, only 18 women have been executed in the United States since 1976.

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