District Attorney General Russell Johnson announced today that the state will pursue the death penalty against former prison inmate Reginald Steed for the first-degree murder of Morgan County Correctional Complex (MCCX) Corrections Officer Dustin Pedigo. During an arraignment presided over by Criminal Court Judge Jeff Wicks, prosecutors filed a Notice of Intent citing four statutory aggravating factors. These factors include Steed’s prior violent felony convictions, the fact that the murder occurred during lawful confinement, Pedigo’s status as a corrections officer acting in the line of duty, and the seemingly random, unprovoked nature of the attack. Steed, who is accused of fatally stabbing Pedigo on the late evening of February 24th while the officer was performing a routine cell door check, entered a plea of not guilty.

Following the death penalty notice, Judge Wicks appointed two qualified defense attorneys, Kit Rodgers and Assistant Public Defender Mart Cizek, to represent Steed. The prosecution will be led by Assistant District Attorney Bob Edwards, alongside ADAs Jonathan Edwards and Jason Collver, and Victim Witness Coordinator Tami Legg. Approximately two dozen corrections officers attended the hearing, where Judge Wicks scheduled the next status hearing for October 9th. District Attorney Johnson noted after the proceedings that capital cases in Tennessee typically take two or more years to reach trial, with an average of 25 to 35 years between a conviction and the execution of the sentence.

Additionally, Johnson confirmed that a parallel Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) probe is actively examining systemic “red flag” issues within the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC). This ongoing investigation is heavily focused on MCCX cell door lock malfunctions as well as prior letters, interviews, and phone calls in which Steed allegedly threatened to kill TDOC personnel. Investigators are also addressing reported witness intimidation and retaliatory threats directed at corrections employees who possess knowledge of these safety concerns but are hesitant to come forward. Legally, Steed is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.