🤦♂️ Our government has become so incompetent that they can't even carry out a simple Death Penalty
Frank Strada is commissioner of the Department of Correction in TN. Governor Bill Lee hired him from Arizona in January 2023 to fix Tennessee executions. In Arizona his shop ran three executions in 2022, and all three had line problems. The next Arizona prisons chief, Ryan Thornell, later told a court the state could not carry executions out because of that leadership group. Thornell wrote that the IV team had been told to use a line against department policy, and that records were missing.
Tennessee has now failed twice on his watch this year. In May the state could not carry out Tony Carruthers. This week it was Christa Pike. Two doses. Still alive. Taken to a hospital. TDOC said they followed every step. Lee has now paused every remaining execution in 2026 and ordered another review (because he's stupid, and hired someone just as stupid to do a job they were already failing at).
Tennessee payroll shows Strada at $221,400 in 2023, $244,080 in 2024, and $251,400 in 2025. That is the pay for a protocol that failed in Arizona, and has now failed in Tennessee. Both Lee and Strada share the blame.
Oh, and btw, the average price for 1 round of 45 caliber ammunition in TN is 55 cents.
Botched Executions:
deathpenaltyinfo.org/tenness…
Payroll:
openthebooks.com/members/emp…