MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama made history Thursday by conducting the first execution in the United States using nitrogen gas, a controversial method that has garnered international scrutiny.
Convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith, who had been on death row since 1996 for the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett, was pronounced dead at 8:25 pm local time. The execution method has drawn criticism from experts, including Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, who called it an untested and unproven method.
Smith’s execution had been postponed in November 2022 after a failed attempt to administer lethal injection. Despite the botched attempt, Smith still expressed fear and trauma leading up to his execution, citing concerns about potential suffering during the process.
The use of nitrogen gas for executions is unprecedented in the United States, with the last execution by gas occurring in 1999. Alabama is one of three states, alongside Oklahoma and Mississippi, that have approved nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution.
The United Nations, through spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani, has condemned Alabama’s use of the method, calling it a potential violation of international human rights law due to its untested and novel nature. The American Veterinary Medical Association even recommends sedation for large animals undergoing euthanization using nitrogen gas, a provision not included in Alabama’s protocol for execution by nitrogen asphyxiation.
Smith’s case was brought to the US Supreme Court for a stay of execution, but the request was denied without comment on Wednesday. According to a Gallup Poll, public support for the death penalty in the US has decreased to 53%, the lowest level since 1972. Additionally, capital punishment has been abolished in 23 states, and six governors have halted its use in their respective states.
The controversial execution method raises questions about the ethics and humaneness of capital punishment, and its use in Alabama has reignited the debate over the death penalty in the United States. The global attention and condemnation from human rights organizations further underscore the significance of this historic event.
Overall, it marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing discourse surrounding the death penalty and its implementation in the US.