Tennessee prison chief to resign after Christa Pike's failed execution, governor says

The head of Tennessee's prison system, Frank Strada, is resigning amid the failed execution of Christa Pike, a death row inmate who survived two lethal injections on Wednesday. Governor Bill Lee announced the change in a joint statement with Strada, stating that Strada's resignation is in the best interests of the state and that the ongoing investigation into the incident is entirely appropriate and necessary.

Pike, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, is now in critical condition at a Tennessee hospital as her lawyers seek to commute her sentence. The state's Department of Correction has defended the execution method, stating that the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out.

Pike's lawyers have filed an emergency motion to preserve any and all evidence related to her failed execution, citing her medical history and anatomy as factors that may have contributed to the incident.

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