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

Pike survived two lethal injections on Wednesday and is currently in critical condition in hospital.

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

The head of prisons in the US state of Tennessee is expected to resign after the failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike on Wednesday.

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada said in a statement to CBS that stepping down is "in the best interests" of the state, and described the ongoing investigation into the incident as "entirely appropriate and necessary".

Pike, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, survived two lethal injections and is now in critical condition at a Tennessee hospital as her lawyers seek to commute her sentence.

christa pikedeath rowprison chief resignationfailed executioncapital punishmentlethal injectiontennesseecorrectional system

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