Alabama Uses Nitrogen Gas for Execution: US News Update
In line with IST rules, Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith last Friday using nitrogen gas. The state said it was a humane method, but critics argued it was both harsh and untested. Smith, sentenced to death in 1996 for a 1988 murder, was pronounced dead at 7:55 am (IST) that Friday. This marked the first time the United States used nitrogen gas for execution, sparking renewed debate on capital punishment.”Alabama Uses Nitrogen Gas for Execution: US News Update”
by TAUHID SHAH: January 26: Friday: 09:58 PM| 2024 Updated.
Historically, the US used lethal injection since its introduction in 1982. However, a previous attempt to execute Smith this way failed due to issues establishing an IV line.
On the morning of the execution, Smith inhaled pure nitrogen gas through a mask, causing oxygen deprivation in an Alabama prison, according to Indian timings.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed concerns, saying, “Alabama, having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, has chosen him as its test subject for an untried execution method. The world is watching.”
In his final moments, Smith spent time with family and a spiritual adviser. Reports say his last meal included a T-bone steak, hash browns, toast, and eggs with A1 steak sauce.
The Kenneth Eugene Smith Case-Smith, convicted in 1989 for the murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett in 1988, was one of two involved. Prosecutors claimed they were paid $1,000 each to carry out the murder for Sennett’s pastor husband, who was in financial trouble. Elizabeth Sennett, 45, was found dead with multiple stab wounds, leading to her husband’s suicide when he became a suspect.
Although Smith’s 1989 conviction was overturned, he faced conviction again in 1996. Despite a jury recommending a life sentence by an 11-1 vote, a judge overruled and sentenced him to death.
