The Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, Frank Strada, has resigned following the botched execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike, who survived a lethal injection attempt that left her unconscious and on a ventilator.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Saturday that Strada would step down from his position later this month, as the state begins an independent review of the execution failure.

Strada said he continued to believe that correctional officials had followed established procedures but decided to leave his position while the review is underway.

Pike Survives Two Doses Of Execution Drug

Pike, 50, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

She received two doses of pentobarbital, a drug used by Tennessee to carry out executions. However, the procedure failed to produce the intended result.

Media witnesses reported hearing Pike snoring for about an hour after the drugs were administered. She remained alive when witnesses were escorted from the execution viewing area.

Pike was subsequently taken to a hospital, where her lawyers said she remained unconscious and was placed on a ventilator. Medical personnel were working to remove the pentobarbital from her system.

The failure has been described as unprecedented, with the Death Penalty Information Center saying Pike was the first known prisoner to survive after receiving lethal doses of execution drugs.

Lawyers Blame Problems With IV Lines

Pike’s attorneys have argued that problems establishing intravenous access contributed to the failed execution.

Her legal team had previously warned that Pike’s small veins and a blood disorder known as thrombocytosis could make inserting and maintaining IV lines difficult.

Attorney Randy Spivey said he witnessed execution personnel use several needles while attempting to establish an IV line in Pike’s left arm, including one that appeared bent after being removed.

Another lawyer, Stephen Ferrell, said medical experts had warned that improperly positioned needles could become dislodged or pierce through veins, potentially causing the execution drugs to enter surrounding tissue instead of the bloodstream.

Court documents filed by Pike’s legal team described pentobarbital as capable of damaging skin, tissue and veins when it does not properly enter the bloodstream.

Her lawyers said both of her arms were swollen, burned and blistered when she arrived at the hospital.

Strada Says Protocol Was Followed

Despite the problems during the execution, Strada said he remained convinced that the Department of Correction had acted according to its established protocol.

He said his decision to step aside was in the best interest of Tennesseans while the independent investigation proceeds.

Governor Lee thanked Strada for his service and said he appreciated the commissioner’s decision to put the interests of the state first during what he described as a difficult period.

An interim commissioner is expected to be appointed while the review is conducted.

Tennessee Halts Further Executions

The failed execution has also prompted Tennessee to suspend further executions for the remainder of 2026.

Governor Lee ordered a comprehensive, third-party review to determine what went wrong during Pike’s execution.

The incident was the second failed execution attempt in Tennessee this year, according to Reuters.

Pike’s 1995 Murder Conviction

Pike was sentenced to death for her role in the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer at a Job Corps training camp.

Pike was 18 at the time of the murder. She and her boyfriend were convicted in connection with Slemmer’s killing, which involved a prolonged attack.

Pike’s lawyers had previously sought clemency, citing her age at the time of the crime, childhood sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Her case had also drawn attention because she was due to become the first woman executed by Tennessee in more than two centuries.

The independent review is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the failed execution, including the problems encountered while attempting to administer the lethal drugs.