NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Correction is standing by its handling of Christa Pike's failed execution, saying it followed every step of the state's protocol. But a close look at that protocol reveals language that raises serious questions about whether more could have been done.
Following the botched execution, TDOC released a brief statement last night:
"The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General's Office," a TDOC spokesperson said.
The agency also said, "The protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening."
The position from TDOC: it followed the rulebook, and the rulebook did not allow for anything more — even as the execution was not going as planned.
Gov. Bill Lee echoed that same position Thursday.
"So far as we know, the Department of Correction followed exactly the protocol that was outlined," Lee said.
He repeated a version of that statement two other times during a press conference held Thursday.
But what does the protocol actually say?
I obtained a copy of TDOC's lethal injection execution protocol — it is a public document — and the full picture is more complicated than the agency's statements suggest.
On page 5, the protocol states:
"There will be no deviation from this Protocol except by order of the Commissioner, when deemed necessary to effectuate the purpose of this Protocol."
In other words — when it is necessary to execute someone — it appears the commissioner has the authority to authorize additional procedures. That language seems to leave at least some discretion built into the very document the state says TDOC followed, however it's unclear what kind of discretion the Department of Correction commissioner, Frank Strada, would actually have.
A shorter, less detailed protocol — with fewer instructions for when things go wrong
Understanding how TDOC got here requires a look at the protocol's history.
The current protocol is far less detailed than the one it replaced. At just 44 pages, it is less than half the length of the previous 2018 protocol, which ran 104 pages.
A section dedicated to "contingency issues" — found on page 69 of the 2018 protocol — was eliminated from the current version entirely.
The commissioner deviation language is also new. It did not exist in the 2018 protocol.
TDOC developed the current protocol after an independent investigation ordered by Gov. Lee. That investigation found the department was not following the procedures in its own 2018 protocol — including failing to test lethal injection drugs for potency to ensure they would work.
The investigation also revealed that TDOC had trouble finding drugs for lethal injection, asking about importing them from overseas or even sourcing them through an animal doctor.
The central question remains: How did this happen?
We have more questions and are awaiting a response from TDOC.
Questions sent to TDOC
I sent TDOC an email with these questions we are looking to get answered:
The TDOC statement said "the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out," however, page 5 of the protocol states: "There will be no deviation from this Protocol except by order of the Commissioner, when deemed necessary to effectuate the purpose of this Protocol." (emphasis added). Can TDOC reconcile those two statements? Does the protocol allow for deviation by order of the commissioner or not?
Was the commissioner consulted or notified at any point that the execution was not proceeding as planned? If so, did the commissioner consider exercising the discretion provided under the protocol to allow for additional procedures?
The commissioner's discretion language does not appear in TDOC's 2018 protocol. It was introduced in the 2025 protocol. What was the intent behind adding that language, and under what circumstances was it expected to be used?
The 2018 protocol contained a dedicated section titled "contingency issues." That section does not exist in the current protocol. Why was it removed, and what replaced it as guidance for execution team members when things do not go as planned?
The current protocol is 44 pages — less than half the length of the 2018 protocol, which was 104 pages. Given that the independent investigation ordered by Gov. Lee found TDOC was not following its own previous protocol, why was the decision made to produce a shorter, less detailed protocol rather than a more comprehensive one?
TDOC has stated it "followed every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol." Given that Christa Pike was transported to an outside medical facility following the attempted execution, what specific steps in the protocol govern what happens when an execution cannot be completed, and were those steps followed?
I sent TDOC an email with these questions we are looking to get answered:
As of Thursday afternoon, TDOC had not responded to those questions. I forwarded the same questions to Gov. Bill Lee's office and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office.
As of Thursday afternoon, the governor's office had not responded, but Skrmetti's office did:
"I would refer you to the Tennessee Department of Correction to answer the questions you emailed," a spokesperson said.
He continued: "Here’s what I can provide from the office of the Attorney General: The Governor has appropriately called for an investigation. We need to know what happened."
This investigation is ongoing — and you may hold a missing piece.
If you have knowledge of what happened inside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution during Christa Pike's execution, insight into how Tennessee's execution protocol is developed or implemented, or any information that can help answer the central question — How did this happen? — I want to hear from you.
Contact me directly at Jason.Lamb@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Jason Lamb When using this tool, both Jason and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team checked all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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