Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada will step down later this month after submitting his resignation, Gov. Bill Lee announced Oct. 3.
In announcing his departure, Strada defended the department's handling of Christa Pike's failed Sept. 30 execution, during which she survived two rounds of lethal injection drugs.
“Serving as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction has been a great honor, and I continue to believe the Department carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol,” Strada said in the statement.
The department of correction oversaw one successful execution attempt of three this year. The attempted execution of Tony Carruthers in May was called off after the execution team
was unable to set the needed IV lines for lethal injection drugs.
Lee has ordered a third-party investigation into Pike's failed execution, which he called "deeply disturbing." Lee also canceled the execution of Gary Wayne Sutton, scheduled for Dec. 3.
Strada said resigning "is in the best interest of Tennesseans as the independent review moves forward."
"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.
Lee thanked Strada for his service.
"Commissioner Strada has served with integrity, and I appreciate his willingness to put the interests of Tennesseans first during this difficult moment,” Lee said.
Pike's attorneys say problems with Tennessee's capital punishment system are not solved by Strada's resignation.
"The resignation of Commissioner Strada is justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now," the attorneys said in a statement. "What happened to her Wednesday reflects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person. We hope the Governor’s call for a full, independent review will expose the profound problems within Tennessee’s entire death penalty system."
The Republican, Democratic and independent candidates for governor had said they would not rehire Strada after Pike's failed execution.
Strada was hired in 2023 to repair Tennessee's execution system, but he oversaw troubling executions in his previous job, too.
Strada had spent three years as one of two Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry deputy directors, overseeing prison operations. He directly supervised the assistant director of prison operations, the official tasked with managing executions.
Three of the lethal injections Arizona carried out during his tenure were later criticized for serious problems.
This story will be updated.
Kelly Puente contributed to this report.
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Frank Strada resigns as TN corrections chief after 2 failed executions
