Alabama has put convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith to death with nitrogen gas, the first time this method of capital punishment has been used in the US.
Smith, 58, had two final appeals rejected by the Supreme Court and one by a federal appeals court, claiming the execution was a cruel and unusual punishment. In 2022, Alabama failed to execute Smith by lethal injection.
He was found guilty in 1989 of killing a preacher’s wife, Elizabeth Sennett, in a murder-for-hire plot. According to the death penalty Information Center, Smith is the first person in the world to die by pure nitrogen gas. Alabama and two other US states have adopted nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative method of execution because the drugs for lethal injections have become harder to get, leading to a decline in the use of the death penalty nationally.
Five media members were taken by van to Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore to watch the execution.
“Tonight, Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards,” Smith said, according to witnesses. “Thank you for supporting me. Love all of you.”
After the gas started to fill his mask, the inmate reportedly smiled, nodded to his family and signed “I love you”. Witnesses saw him writhe for two to four minutes and breathe heavily for about five minutes before he was declared dead at 20:25 local time (02:35 GMT).
Breathing nitrogen without oxygen makes the cells in the body collapse and leads to death.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who did not reply to a request to attend the execution, confirmed Smith’s death in a statement.
“After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr Smith has paid for his horrific crimes,” she said.
“I pray that Elizabeth Sennett’s family can find closure after all these years of suffering that great loss.”
