Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed Christa Pike execution attempt

Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed Christa Pike execution attempt Christa Pike survived two lethal injections in a failed execution attempt in Tennessee, leaving her fighting for her life in hospital Tennessee's head of prisons is resigning following the botched execution of Christa Pike. Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada is stepping down, a decision he said is "in the best interests" of the state. Christa Pike survived two lethal injections in a failed execution attempt that left her fighting for her life in hospital. The US convicted murderer was set to be executed on Wednesday evening for the brutal murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, in 1995 and would have become the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. A statement released by Mr Strada said he believes "the Department carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol." An independent review into the failed execution has been ordered by Tennessee governor Bill Lee. Mr Strada said: "I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred." Pike had spent three decades waiting for her execution following the horrific killing, which is also known as the "Satanic Panic Murder". Ms Slemmer was tortured by pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, as the pair carved a pentagram into the teen’s chest, while Pike also took a piece of her skull as a souvenir, according to investigators. Pike remains hospitalised, unconscious and on a ventilator following her failed execution, her lawyers have said in a court filing. As of late Thursday, hospital staff were working to save her life and clear the two doses of the lethal drugs administered from her system. This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.