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Alabama death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith has been executed by nitrogen gas – making him the first person in US history to be put to death through the controversial method.
Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8.25pm CT on Thursday at the William C Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, almost three decades after he was convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire plot of Elizabeth Sennett.
His religious adviser Reverend Jeff Hood, who witnessed the execution, told reporters that what he saw was a man “struggling for their life” for a staggering 22 minutes.
Alabama authorities insist the execution went to plan, despite predicting the untested method would lead to unconsciousness within seconds and death in minutes.
But, witnesses said Smith appeared conscious for several minutes, shaking and writhing on the gurney.
“We didn’t see somebody go unconscious in 30 seconds,” said Rev Hood. “What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life.”
Smith’s death came after the US Supreme Court denied a final, 11th-hour bid to stay of execution. The ruling received dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote that the state had selected Smith as a “guinea pig” by using the untested method.
WATCH: Witness describes Kenneth Smith’s historic nitrogen gas execution
Concern over the use of nitrogen gas in inmate executions
Alabama death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith became the first person in American history to be executed with nitrogen gas.
UN human rights experts and lawyers for Smith had sought to prevent it, saying the method was risky, experimental and could lead to a torturous death or non-fatal injury.
The state has called its new protocol “the most painless and humane method of execution known to man". Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights office, said: “This could amount to torture or other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment under international human rights law.”
“Nitrogen gas has never been used in the United States to execute human beings.”
Lawmakers in Oklahoma and Mississippi have also approved similar nitrogen-asphyxiation execution protocols in recent years, but have yet to put them into practice.
"They said lethal injection was humane - that was a lie. They'll claim this execution was humane, and that is a lie, too," said Maya Foa, the US director of Reprieve.
"The whole purpose of these methods is to hide pain. How many more prisoners must die agonizing deaths before we see executions for what they really are: the state violently taking a human life?"
Kenneth Smith’s last meal, final statement and more
Kenneth Smith was visited in prison by his wife and sons, who also witnessed his execution by nitrogen on Thursday. His last meal was steak, eggs and hash browns.
Michelle Del Rey with more details here.
Kenneth Smith’s last meal, final statement and more
Kenneth Smith was visited in prison by his wife and sons, who also witnessed his execution. His last meal was steak, eggs and hash browns.
Michelle Del Rey with more details here.
UN: Executing Alabama inmate with nitrogen gas would be ‘torture'
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights office voiced concerns, stating that the organisation had “serious concerns” over the proposed execution.
“We are alarmed by the imminent execution in the United States of America of Kenneth Eugene Smith, through the novel and untested method – suffocation by nitrogen gas,” Ms Shamdasani said at a press conference.
“This could amount to torture or other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment under international human rights law. Nitrogen gas has never been used in the United States to execute human beings.”
Death row inmate’s statement before nitrogen execution
Alabama death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith in his final statement said humanity took a step backwards in Alabama.
“Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards. ... I’m leaving with love, peace and light,” he said.
He made the “I love you sign” with his hands toward family members who were witnesses. “Thank you for supporting me. Love, love all of you,” Smith said.
Alabama death row inmate described his state’s previous botched execution attempt
Kenneth Eugene Smith was a member of strange and horrific club: people Alabama has attempted to execute, but failed to do so in time. Its membership grew last year, with the state failing on two separate attempts to successfully complete a death sentence.
Josh Marcus has more.
Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett’s son reacts to Kenneth Smith’s execution
Mike Sennett, the son of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, said late on Thursday night that Kenneth Smith “had been incarcerated almost twice as long as I knew my mom.”
“Nothing happened here today is going to bring mom back. It’s kind of a bittersweet day. We are not going to be jumping around, whooping and holler, hooray and all that. ... I’ll end by saying Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett got her justice tonight,” he said.
Why do we treat our pets more humanely than a death row inmate?
Authorities in Alabama have come up with a grim and as-yet untested alternative to lethal injection and electric chair – being gassed to death with pure nitrogen, a reputedly ‘painless’ procedure that slowly starves the criminal of oxygen until they die.
But would you use it to put down a sickly pet, asks Sean O’Grady.
More here.
Why do we treat our pets more humanely than a death row inmate?
Authorities in Alabama have come up with a grim and as-yet untested alternative to lethal injection and electric chair – being gassed to death with pure nitrogen, a reputedly ‘painless’ procedure that slowly starves the criminal of oxygen until they die. But would you use it to put down a sickly pet, asks Sean O’Grady
Kenneth Smith’s wife breaks down during presser
Reverend Dr Jeff Hood (L), the spiritual advisor for convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith, comforts Smith’s wife Deanna Smith as she describes the execution of her husband by nitrogen gas
Reverend Dr Jeff Hood, the spiritual advisor for convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith, describes the execution of Smith by nitrogen gas
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2024-01-26 08:30:38Z
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