Reginald Steed is accused of killing Correctional Officer Dustin Pedigo during late-night rounds at a Wartburg prison.
WARTBURG, Tenn. — A Tennessee prosecutor said Thursday he will seek the death penalty against Reginald Steed, a former Morgan County inmate indicted in the fatal stabbing of Correctional Officer Dustin Pedigo.
District Attorney General Russell Johnson filed the notice during Steed’s arraignment in Morgan County. Steed is charged with first-degree murder and possessing an unlawful weapon in a penal facility. The case now moves into a capital prosecution, raising the stakes in a killing that has also brought new attention to security concerns inside the Morgan County Correctional Complex.
Pedigo, 35, was killed Feb. 24 while working at the state prison in Wartburg. State officials said he had served with the Tennessee Department of Correction since April 2025. Johnson’s office said Steed was in custody when the killing happened and had at least one prior felony conviction. Prosecutors also said the reason for the attack remains unknown. “This investigation is especially focusing on the cell door lock issues,” Johnson’s office said, adding that investigators are also reviewing letters, interviews and phone calls tied to alleged threats against prison staff.
A Morgan County grand jury indicted Steed in May after hearing testimony about the stabbing and broader prison safety issues. Authorities have said Pedigo was attacked during nighttime rounds. Reports citing court records said he was stabbed eight times in the neck with a homemade weapon. Steed was later moved to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reviewing how the attack happened, including whether cell door problems played a role.
The case has drawn scrutiny from state lawmakers and correctional staff. State Sen. Ken Yager said earlier this year that Pedigo’s death could have been prevented if known lock problems had been fixed. He said officers had raised concerns about doors and asked for added padlocks before the killing. Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada called the death tragic and said lock replacement issues had existed for years.
Steed was already serving a 27-year sentence when Pedigo was killed. State records cited by officials listed his prior convictions as aggravated assault, especially aggravated robbery and attempted voluntary manslaughter. The capital notice does not decide guilt or punishment. It tells the court that prosecutors plan to seek death if Steed is convicted of first-degree murder.
The next major step is further court scheduling as the case moves through Morgan County Criminal Court. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s findings could shape both the murder case and the wider review of prison safety practices. Officials have not said when that investigation will be finished.
Author note: Last updated Friday, June 19, 2026.