Tennessee’s prison system is facing a leadership shakeup after murderer Christa Pike survived an attempt to execute her, a stunning failure that led Governor Bill Lee to halt the remaining execution scheduled for this year and demand an independent investigation.

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada submitted his resignation to Lee on Oct. 3. The resignation came three days after Pike survived two doses of a lethal injection.

Lee announced Strada’s departure Saturday, marking a swift leadership change after the bungled execution put the department’s procedures under scrutiny. Strada had overseen the department responsible for carrying out Pike’s execution.

On Wednesday night, Lee called for a full, independent review of what may have gone wrong during the execution attempt. The governor also halted the remaining execution that Tennessee had scheduled this year.

The decision paused further executions while the state examines how Pike remained alive after receiving two lethal doses of pentobarbital. The episode left Tennessee officials confronting a grim outcome despite assurances that established procedures had been followed.

In a statement obtained by The Tennessean, Strada maintained that the department carried out its responsibilities “in accordance with established protocol.” His resignation nevertheless cleared the way for the independent review to proceed under new leadership.

Strada said stepping aside was in the best interest of Tennessee residents while the examination moves forward. He also expressed support for determining precisely what occurred during the failed execution attempt.

“I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred,” Strada said. His statement paired cooperation with the review and continued confidence in the department’s adherence to protocol.

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Lee appointed Strada to serve as commissioner in 2023. Before taking the Tennessee position, Strada served as Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, according to an online biography cited in the report.

That biography credited Strada with 37 years of experience in corrections management and law enforcement. His career included almost 30 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons before he took charge of Tennessee’s correctional system.

Pike, 50, survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital during the Wednesday night execution attempt. She was then rushed to a hospital for lifesaving treatment after the drugs failed to kill her.

Her lawyers said Pike remained alive following the botched procedure. According to those lawyers, she was unconscious, intubated, and breathing through a ventilator.

The failed execution followed a major change in Tennessee’s execution process. In 2024, the state moved away from a three-drug procedure and adopted a single-drug protocol.

Pentobarbital was administered to Pike during the execution attempt, and she survived both doses. The result triggered Lee’s order for an independent review and his decision to stop the state’s remaining scheduled execution for the year.

Strada’s resignation came as that review was set to examine what occurred despite the department’s claim that it followed established protocol. Pike’s condition, the suspended execution schedule and the unanswered questions surrounding the procedure now remain at the center of the developing story.

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