Alabama has made history by executing a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas, marking the first time this controversial method has been employed in the United States.
On Thursday, Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 58-year-old inmate, was pronounced dead after being subjected to nitrogen hypoxia at Holman Prison.
Smith, who had been on death row for more than three decades, was convicted of a 1988 murder-for-hire involving a pastor’s wife. The execution took place despite previous criticisms from human rights advocates and legal challenges.
According to the Attorney General Steve Marshall, “Justice has been served. Tonight, Kenneth Smith was put to death for the heinous act he committed over 35 years ago.”
Witnesses from the media reported that Smith appeared to struggle and gasp for air during the process, which involved nitrogen gas being pumped into a facemask, leading to suffocation.
John Hamm, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, said the reaction was expected and that Smith seemed to be “holding his breath as long as he could.”
The Death Penalty Information Centre’s executive director, Robin Maher, had expressed concerns about this execution method, calling it “untested” and “unproven.” Smith himself had experienced a failed execution attempt last November when officials could not administer lethal injection.
Before his execution, Smith shared his last thoughts, expressing his love and gratitude to his supporters. His final meal consisted of steak, hashbrowns, and eggs.
This execution method is controversial, as the UN rights office in Geneva, through spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani, warned against its use. The UN Rights Office considers it could be seen as a form of torture or inhumane punishment under international law.
Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi are states that have approved nitrogen hypoxia for executions. Defending its decision, Alabama claims that this method could be “perhaps the most humane method of execution ever devised.”
Smith’s execution not only brings closure to one case but calls attention to the wider debate on the death penalty in the US.
As of now, 24 individuals were executed in 2023, all by lethal injection. Public support for capital punishment is at its lowest since 1972, with 23 states having abolished it and a moratorium in place in six others.
