Alabama executes 1988 murder convict Kenneth Smith using US' first untested nitrogen gas

Alabama, a state in the US, carried out the country’s first execution of a death row inmate using nitrogen gas, an untested procedure that some experts have warned could cause severe suffering or even torture. Kenneth Smith, 58, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for a 1988 murder-for-hire plot that killed Elizabeth Sennett, was pronounced dead at 8:25 pm on Thursday at Alabama prison after being forced to breathe pure nitrogen gas through an face mask which causes oxygen deprivation. The technique, known as “nitrogen hypoxia”, leads to fatal oxygen deprivation. The industrial-style face mask emitting nitrogen gas cut off the oxygen supply to his brain, resulting in unconsciousness and death. As per reports, the execution took about 22 minutes. Smith appeared to remain conscious for several of those minutes, at times appearing to shake and writhe on a gurney. This was followed by several minutes of heavy breathing, before his breath began slowing “until it was no longer perceptible for media witnesses.” Addressing a news conference after the execution, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said nitrogen was running for about 15 minutes. When asked about Smith shaking during the start of the execution, Hamm said Smith appeared to be holding his breath “for as long as he could” and may have also “struggled against his restraints.” [caption id=“attachment_13657712” align=“alignnone” width=“300”] The execution chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama. Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death on Thursday. FILE/AP[/caption] In 2022, Smith had escaped death by lethal injection when his execution was halted after prison staff failed to insert two intravenous lines into his veins, as required by the protocol. They tried for an hour, but could only insert one line. Earlier on Thursday, the US Supreme Court denied his last-minute appeal to stop the execution, after declining the same request on Wednesday. The prisoner’s lawyers had argued amounted to a form of cruel and unusual punishment banned under the US constitution. Smith and another man were each allegedly paid $1,000 to kill Elizabeth Sennett by Charles Sennett, a minister in the Church of Christ who went on to take his own life after suspicion fell on him. Smith’s final hours A report by Associated Press cited a prison spokesperson saying in his final hours, Smith met with family members and his spiritual adviser. He ate a last meal of T-bone steak, hash browns, toast and eggs slathered in steak sauce. “He’s terrified at the torture that could come. But he’s also at peace. One of the things he told me is he is finally getting out," the spokesperson added. Smith’s last statement Smith reportedly made a lengthy statement before he died, saying, “Tonight Alabama caused humanity to take a step backward,” and adding, “I’m leaving with love, peace and light, thank you for supporting me, love all of you.” He even 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. A report by The Guardian said, Smith in an interview on a phone call from his prison, days before he was executed, said he was not ready to die. He had been diagnosed with PTSD caused by his first failed execution attempt, and was suffering from sleeplessness and anxiety. Execution by nitrogen gas is one of the alternatives that some states have adopted in response to the challenges of lethal injection which is the most common execution method in the US. About half of the US states still have the death penalty, and they use different methods including hanging, firing squad, or electric chair. Although some state courts have banned a few of them, none of these methods have been ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. States in US which have approved execution using nitrogen gas Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi have approved the use of nitrogen gas in executions. They argue that nitrogen gas is a humane and painless way to kill, as it induces a state of euphoria and unawareness before death. These states have also cited examples of industrial accidents where workers have died of nitrogen hypoxia without realising it. However, critics of nitrogen gas say it is an experimental and unproven method that could cause harm and suffering to the inmates. Meanwhile, execution using lethal injection, involving administering sedate and kill the inmate, has been the preferred method since Texas first used it in 1982. In 2023, as many as 24 people were executed in the US, mostly in Florida and Texas, and all by lethal injection. But lethal injection has faced many problems, both practical and ethical. Several executions have been botched, causing pain and suffering to the inmates. A number of inmates, including Smith, have had their executions delayed or cancelled because of difficulties in finding suitable veins. Also, some states have struggled to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection, as drug manufacturers have refused to sell them or stopped producing them. With inputs from agencies