Pike’s failed execution was the second failed execution by lethal injection in the state this year

NEED TO KNOW

• Tennessee Department of Correction chief Frank Strada announced his resignation three days after Christa Pike survived a failed lethal-injection execution
• Pike, 50, remains hospitalized after receiving two doses of pentobarbital; her attorneys allege she suffered severe injuries to her arms during the procedure
• The recent incident was the second failed execution by lethal injection in the state this year

Frank Strada, the chief of the Tennessee Department of Correction, which oversaw the botched execution of Christa Pike, has resigned.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the news on Saturday, Oct. 3, per The New York Times.

Lee’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In a statement released by the governor’s office, Strada said his agency “carried out its responsibilities” regarding Pike’s scheduled execution “in accordance with the established protocol,” per The New York Times.

He added that his resignation was “in the best interest of Tennesseans,” according to the outlet.

A replacement for Strada has not yet been announced.

The Tennessee Department of Correction had no further comment when PEOPLE reached out for a statement.

Strada’s resignation came three days after Pike, 50, survived an attempted state execution by lethal injection on Wednesday, Sept. 30 — the second failed execution by lethal injection in the state this year.

Pike survived the execution attempt after receiving two doses of pentobarbital, a drug that suppresses breathing and cardiovascular function in high enough doses. She reportedly remained unconscious but breathing following the injections, and she remains hospitalized on a ventilator. 

In a court filing obtained by PEOPLE, Pike’s attorneys said both of Pike’s arms were “swollen, burned and blistered,” when she arrived at the hospital and claimed that seven needles were inserted during the ordeal.

According to her attorneys, Pike could be heard crying, whimpering and breathing loudly during the procedure. At one point, she said, “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open,” and later asked, “Does this happen like that?”

Lee paused executions in the state for the remainder of 2026 and ordered an independent investigation into what went wrong.

Pike’s attorneys called Strada’s resignation “justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now,” in a statement to NBC News.

“What happened to her Wednesday reflects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person,” their statement read. “We hope the Governor’s call for a full, independent review will expose the profound problems within Tennessee’s entire death penalty system.”

Pike was accused of killing her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, on Jan. 12, 1995, and convicted of first-degree murder in relation to the incident and sentenced to death the following year.

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The recent incident was the second failed execution attempt in Tennessee this year. In May, the execution of Tony Von Carruthers was put on hold after medical personnel could not locate a backup IV line, as required by state execution protocol, per a press release from the governor’s office issued at the time.

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