Independent Investigation Launched into Fatal Attack on Morgan County Corrections Officer

State Senator Ken Yager calls for independent probe into inmate's killing of officer Dustin Pedigo

Apr. 10, 2026 at 10:23pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a prison cell lock mechanism, the metal and mechanism details sharply illuminated by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the security vulnerabilities that enabled a fatal attack on a corrections officer.A recent wave of violence against corrections officers has exposed systemic security flaws in Tennessee's prison system.Knoxville Today

State authorities will conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the February fatal stabbing of a correctional officer at Morgan County Correctional Complex, state Sen. Ken Yager told WBIR. Inmate Reginald Steed ambushed and killed officer Dustin Pedigo as Pedigo was checking cell doors, with Yager calling the attack a "tragic death" and "assassination" that "could have been prevented." Yager said the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) had known for over a decade about vulnerabilities with the prison's cell door locks, which inmates had figured out how to jimmy open using scraps of paper.

Why it matters

The attack on Officer Pedigo has raised serious concerns about security lapses and potential negligence within the state's prison system. Yager's call for an independent investigation signals a desire for greater transparency and accountability around the circumstances that led to this tragedy.

The details

Inmate Reginald Steed, 35, ambushed and fatally stabbed corrections officer Dustin Pedigo, 35, the night of February 24 at the Wartburg state prison as Pedigo was checking cell doors. Officers had been checking the electronic doors because inmates had figured out ways to jimmy them open using scraps of paper, a vulnerability TDOC had known about for over a decade. TDOC left it up to officers like Pedigo to monitor the cell doors while making rounds, and as Pedigo reached Steed's door, the inmate jumped out and stabbed Pedigo eight times in the neck, with one wound proving fatal.

  • On February 24, inmate Reginald Steed attacked and killed corrections officer Dustin Pedigo.
  • In the days before the attack, Steed had written letters to TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada saying he wanted to inflict harm, and made similar comments heard by fellow inmates and in monitored phone calls to family.

The players

Ken Yager

A Republican state senator whose district includes Roane and Morgan counties, Yager has called for an independent investigation into the attack on Officer Pedigo and has criticized TDOC for known security vulnerabilities at the prison.

Reginald Steed

A 35-year-old inmate at Morgan County Correctional Complex who ambushed and fatally stabbed corrections officer Dustin Pedigo.

Dustin Pedigo

A 35-year-old corrections officer at Morgan County Correctional Complex who was killed by inmate Reginald Steed in the February 24 attack.

Frank Strada

The commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, who has acknowledged the known vulnerabilities with the prison's cell door locks that inmates exploited.

Russell Johnson

The local District Attorney General who has requested an independent examination of the situation surrounding Officer Pedigo's killing.

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What they’re saying

“It's as if (the inmate) were waiting for him.”

— Ken Yager, State Senator

“It was clearly foreseeable and could have been prevented. But some folks were asleep on the job.”

— Ken Yager, State Senator

What’s next

Inmate Reginald Steed is expected to be indicted next month for the killing of Officer Pedigo. The independent investigation requested by Senator Yager and District Attorney General Johnson is set to begin soon.

The takeaway

This tragic incident has exposed serious security lapses and potential negligence within Tennessee's prison system, raising urgent questions about accountability and the need for comprehensive reforms to protect the safety of both inmates and corrections officers.