WARTBURG, Tenn. — A Tennessee correctional officer was stabbed to death inside the Morgan County Correctional Complex, authorities said.
The officer, identified as Correctional Officer Dustin Pedigo, 35, was killed on Feb. 24, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. Pedigo had served with TDOC since April 2025.
TDOC said the inmate responsible was identified as Reginald Steed. The inmate has since been transported to another correctional facility, according to District Attorney General Russell Johnson.
A TDOC spokesperson confirmed the department is investigating the officer’s death as a homicide.
Steed is serving a 27-year sentence for aggravated assault, especially aggravated kidnapping and attempted voluntary manslaughter, according to TDOC.
The facility was immediately secured following the attack and remains on lockdown. Officials said there is no ongoing threat to staff or the public, and visitation at MCCX has been canceled for the weekend.
TDOC’s Office of Investigations & Conduct is leading the investigation, which remains ongoing. The department’s Critical Incident Stress Management team is on-site to provide counseling and support services to staff.
“This is a heartbreaking moment for our department and for the entire TDOC family,” TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
