Tennessee corrections chief resigns after failed execution of Christa Pike
In short
Tennessee corrections commissioner Frank Strada will resign after the lethal injection of Christa Pike, 50, on September 30 failed to kill her and left her unconscious on a ventilator, Governor Bill Lee announced on October 3. Lee ordered a full and independent investigation and halted the state's remaining executions scheduled for this year. Strada said he still believes the department carried out its duties under prescribed procedures, but that withdrawing was best for Tennesseans while the investigation proceeds.
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The head of Tennessee's corrections department will resign after the lethal injection of Christa Pike failed to kill her, Governor Bill Lee announced on October 3. Lee ordered a full and independent investigation into what went wrong and halted the state's remaining executions scheduled for this year, according to Livedoor News and Nippon TV News. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Pike, 50, was given a lethal injection on the night of September 30 in the southern US state and survived, later being taken to hospital for emergency treatment. Livedoor News, citing the New York Post, reported that she was given lethal doses of the drug pentobarbital twice. Nippon TV News, citing her lawyers, reported that the drug appears to have flowed into tissue outside the vein. The lawyers say she is currently unconscious, intubated and connected to a ventilator, and is receiving treatment to remove the drugs remaining in her body. [ 2 , 3 ]
Corrections commissioner Frank Strada submitted his resignation to Lee on October 3, three days after the execution, and will leave his post within the month, Livedoor News reported, citing the New York Post. Strada said he still believes the corrections department carried out its duties in line with the prescribed procedures, but that stepping aside was the best course for Tennesseans while the independent investigation proceeds. [ 2 ]
Pike's lawyers told the New York Post that the resignation was “only natural” but that it was now of no use in saving Christa, and that what happened to her on September 30 shows a dysfunction of the system as a whole that goes far beyond the problem of one person, according to Livedoor News. [ 2 ]
Pike was sentenced to death for killing a classmate when she was 18. Livedoor News named the victim as Colleen Slemmer and said that had the execution been carried out, Pike would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. Nippon TV News reported that her lawyers said her physique made it difficult to insert a needle into her blood vessels, and that they had asked for the execution to be carried out by a method other than injection. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The resignation and the governor's order for an independent inquiry put Tennessee's execution procedures under review, and the state has stopped the executions it had planned for the rest of the year. Lawyers for Pike say what happened points to a failure of the system rather than of one person, a claim the announced investigation has yet to test. The case is being reported outside the United States because the execution did not result in death.
Key facts
- Christa Pike, 50, was given a lethal injection in Tennessee on the night of September 30 and did not die; she is in critical condition, according to Yahoo! News Japan, Livedoor News and Nippon TV News. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Governor Bill Lee announced on October 3 that corrections commissioner Frank Strada would resign, Yahoo! News Japan, Livedoor News and Nippon TV News reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Livedoor News, citing the New York Post, reported that Strada submitted his resignation to Lee on October 3, three days after the execution, and will leave within the month. [ 2 ]
- Strada said he still believes the corrections department carried out its duties under the prescribed procedures, but that withdrawing was best for Tennesseans while the independent investigation proceeds, according to Livedoor News. [ 2 ]
- Lee ordered a full and independent investigation and halted the state's remaining executions planned for this year, according to Livedoor News and Nippon TV News. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pike's lawyers say she is unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator in hospital, where she is receiving treatment to remove the drugs remaining in her body, according to Livedoor News and Nippon TV News. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Livedoor News, citing the New York Post, reported that Pike was given lethal doses of pentobarbital twice and survived; Nippon TV News, citing her lawyers, said the drug appears to have flowed into tissue outside the vein. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pike was sentenced to death for killing a classmate when she was 18; Livedoor News named the victim as Colleen Slemmer and said Pike would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nothing is confirmed by two independent outlets yet.
Still unclear
- Why the execution did not result in death Livedoor News, citing the New York Post, says two doses of pentobarbital were given, while Nippon TV News, citing the lawyers, says the drug appears to have flowed into tissue outside the vein; no document reports a confirmed cause, and the independent investigation has only been announced.
- Whether Strada resigned voluntarily or under pressure Livedoor News reports he submitted a resignation letter and said stepping aside was best during the investigation; no document describes a dismissal or any demand for him to go.
- The exact timing and terms of the resignation Livedoor News, citing the New York Post, says he will leave within the month and that the letter was submitted on October 3; no precise departure date is given.
- Pike's prognosis The reports describe her as in critical condition, unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator, and receiving treatment to remove remaining drugs, but give no information on her chances of recovery.
- Where in Tennessee the execution took place None of the documents names a city or facility; they refer only to the state of Tennessee.
- Christa Pike, 50, was executed by lethal injection in Tennessee on September 30 but did not die and was left in critical condition. Reported by a single source so far
- Governor Bill Lee announced on October 3 that the head of the state corrections department, Frank Strada, would resign over the failed execution. Reported by a single source so far
- Lee ordered an independent investigation into the execution and halted the state's remaining executions planned for this year. Reported by a single source so far
- Pike is unconscious and on a ventilator in hospital, according to her lawyers. Reported by a single source so far
- Pike had been sentenced to death for killing a classmate when she was 18. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Christa Pike is given a lethal injection of pentobarbital in Tennessee; she survives, and Livedoor News reports she received a second dose before being taken to hospital for emergency treatment. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Corrections commissioner Frank Strada submits his resignation to Governor Bill Lee; Lee orders a full independent investigation and halts the state's remaining executions for the year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yahoo! News Japan reports the resignation, citing AFP-Jiji, stating that the corrections commissioner quit after the failed execution. [ 1 ]
- Livedoor News publishes details from the New York Post, including Strada's statement and the reaction of Pike's lawyers. [ 2 ]
- Nippon TV News reports the failed execution, Pike's condition and the halt to executions, citing Reuters and others. [ 3 ]