Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against Reginald Steed in the killing of Officer Dustin Pedigo.
WARTBURG, TN — A Morgan County inmate has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the fatal stabbing of Correctional Officer Dustin Pedigo, a 35-year-old Tennessee prison officer killed in February at Morgan County Correctional Complex.
Reginald Steed is accused of killing Pedigo while Steed was in state custody at the prison near Wartburg. The case moved into a higher stage this month after District Attorney General Russell Johnson filed notice that his office intends to seek the death penalty. The filing raises the stakes in a case that has also drawn questions about prison security, door locks and what state officials knew before the attack.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said Pedigo was killed on Feb. 24 and identified Steed as the inmate responsible the next day. Pedigo had served with the department since April 2025. The prison was secured after the killing and placed on lockdown, officials said at the time. Visitation at the prison was canceled that weekend while investigators worked inside the facility. “This is a heartbreaking moment for our department and for the entire TDOC family,” Correction Commissioner Frank Strada said after Pedigo’s death. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
A Morgan County grand jury returned an indictment May 26 charging Steed with first-degree murder and unlawful weapon in a penal facility. Johnson said Pedigo was stabbed at Morgan County Correctional Complex, and Steed was later moved to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. TDOC said Steed was serving a 27-year sentence for aggravated assault, especially aggravated robbery and attempted voluntary manslaughter. Prosecutors have said the reason for the killing remains unknown. Johnson’s office cited several aggravating factors in seeking the death penalty, including Steed’s prior felony record, that the killing happened while he was in custody and that the victim was a correctional officer working inside a state prison.
The investigation has widened beyond the stabbing itself. Johnson’s office said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reviewing how the attack happened, including reported problems with cell door locks. The review also includes letters, interviews and phone calls in which Steed allegedly made threats to kill TDOC personnel. Prosecutors said investigators are also looking into possible witness intimidation and threats of retaliation against correctional employees who may have information but are reluctant to come forward. Officials have not said publicly whether any prison employee has been disciplined, whether a specific lock failed or how Steed allegedly obtained the weapon.
The killing has brought new attention to safety concerns at Morgan County Correctional Complex, a state prison in East Tennessee. State Sen. Ken Yager said in May that Pedigo’s death could have been prevented if known security issues had been fixed. “There was a very serious lapse in security there that folks knew about, but nothing was done to fix it and resulting in this fine correctional officer’s tragic death,” Yager said. He said correctional officers had asked for padlocks to be placed on certain doors to prevent that type of incident, but the request had not been answered. State officials have not released a final public report on those claims.
Steed appeared for arraignment June 18 in Wartburg, where Johnson filed the death penalty notice. The filing does not mean Steed has been convicted or sentenced. It means prosecutors plan to ask a jury for a death sentence if Steed is convicted of a capital offense. The case now moves through pretrial hearings, evidence review and further grand jury work. Johnson said the grand jury adjourned after hearing testimony about TDOC issues at the complex and was scheduled to reconvene June 23 to receive more information and testimony from the TBI investigation.
For prison employees, Pedigo’s death has become both a criminal case and a workplace safety case. TDOC said its Critical Incident Stress Management team was sent to the prison after the killing to provide counseling and support to staff. The prison remained under tighter security after the attack, and officials said there was no ongoing threat to staff or the public. Pedigo’s killing also came during a period of scrutiny for Tennessee’s correction system, including staffing pressure, security concerns and the state’s renewed use of capital punishment in separate criminal cases.
The case stands now with Steed indicted, prosecutors pursuing a possible death sentence and state investigators still examining how the fatal stabbing occurred. The next known milestone is the grand jury’s scheduled June 23 session on the TBI investigation.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.