Alabama Becomes 1st State to Execute Inmate with Nitrogen Gas, Which Critics Say Is ‘Experimental’ Method
Alabama made history on Thursday as the first state in the United States to execute a death row inmate using nitrogen gas, a method that has drawn criticism for being experimental. Kenneth Eugene Smith, who had been on death row since 1990, was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. after the execution began at 7:53 p.m. According to media witnesses, Smith reportedly experienced significant movement and heavy breathing before his passing.
The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling in November allowed Smith’s execution, despite objections from his advocates who deemed the nitrogen hypoxia method as experimental. Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi are the only states that have authorized this method, with Alabama being the first to use it.
Nitrogen hypoxia involves administering pure nitrogen into the inmate’s lungs while simultaneously cutting off the oxygen supply. Although Alabama officials claim it is a painless and humane method, the American Veterinary Medical Association has deemed it unacceptable for all mammals except pigs.
Smith’s legal team had previously denounced the method, describing it as an untested procedure. However, the state’s attorney general’s execution warrant was granted by the Alabama Supreme Court in a 6 to 2 vote last November. The United States Supreme Court also declined to intervene in the execution, with three justices issuing dissents.
The execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith was met with mixed feelings. While Alabama officials believe it to be a humane method, critics and advocates for Smith have condemned the use of nitrogen hypoxia. Smith’s spiritual advisor, Rev. Jeff Hood, and he released a joint statement before the execution, expressing their opposition to the suffocation of individuals.
Smith was convicted of the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, the wife of a local minister. He was part of a group of men hired by Sennett to kill his wife, making it appear as a burglary gone wrong. Smith’s accomplice was executed for the crime in 2010, and Sennett died by suicide a week after his wife’s murder.
The use of nitrogen gas as an execution method will undoubtedly continue to spark debates on the ethicality and efficacy of capital punishment. As Alabama becomes the first state to implement this procedure, the eyes of the nation remain fixed on the ongoing discourse surrounding the death penalty and its various methods.
