District attorney to seek death penalty in Morgan County correctional officer’s stabbing death

WARTBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s office will seek the death penalty for Reginald Steed, a Morgan County inmate accused of stabbing Corrections Officer Dustin Pedigo to death while in custody.

Steed had an arraignment Thursday morning, where Johnson filed a notice of intent to pursue the death penalty. He provided several reasons for his decision, saying Steed had at least one felony conviction, committed the murder while in custody and did so for an unknown reason.

Alongside Steed’s investigation, Johnson said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into how the stabbing happened.

“This investigation is especially focusing on the cell door lock issues as well as the numerous letters, interviews and phone calls involving Steed, wherein he was stating threats to kill TDOC personnel, but the investigation is also dealing with the witness intimidation and ‘threats’ of retaliation to corrections employees with knowledge of these concerns who are reluctant to come forward,” an announcement from Johnson’s office said.

It comes as Tennessee faced yet another failed execution. At the end of May, the state failed to execute Memphian Tony Carruthers.