In the American state of Alabama, Kenneth Eugene Smith, a convict of murder, was executed on Thursday, marking the inaugural utilization of nitrogen gas as an execution method in the United States. Despite a eleventh-hour plea from Smith’s legal representatives, which was rebuffed by the US Supreme Court, the execution went forward, as reported by US news outlet CNN. While Justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor advocated for halting the execution, the majority of the Supreme Court refrained from intervening, maintaining the precedent set the previous day.

 

Originally condemned to death for his role in a 1988 assassination plot, Kenneth Smith previously survived an attempt to execute him via lethal injection in 2022. Ahead of his execution via nitrogen gas, he selected a final meal comprising steak, hashbrowns, and eggs, as disclosed by the Alabama Department of Corrections, as reported by CNN.

 

Convicted in 1989 for the hired killing of preacher’s wife Elizabeth Sennett, Smith now holds the distinction of being the first individual worldwide to undergo execution via pure nitrogen gas, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

 

The execution method, referred to as nitrogen hypoxia, has elicited concerns due to the secrecy shrouding its implementation. Experts argue that the state’s published protocol contains redactions that obscure vital details from public scrutiny.

 

The procedure involves inhaling nitrogen devoid of oxygen, resulting in cellular breakdown and eventual demise. Alabama asserted that Smith would lose consciousness within moments and expire within minutes. However, medical experts voiced apprehensions regarding potential catastrophic mishaps, including violent convulsions and the possibility of lingering in a vegetative state, as reported by British media outlet BBC.

 

The state defended the redactions, citing security concerns, and asserted that death via nitrogen gas is “arguably the most compassionate method of execution ever devised”.

 

Smith and his associates maintained skepticism regarding the new execution method. In a collective statement with his spiritual advisor, Reverend Jeff Hood, Smith expressed apprehension about the lack of transparency, remarking, “The gaze of the world rests upon this impending ethical catastrophe. Our hope is that individuals will not avert their gaze. We simply cannot normalize the asphyxiation of one another.”

 

The sons of the victim, Elizabeth Sennett, believed it was time for Smith’s sentence to be carried out, expressing frustration that the focus was on the execution method rather than their mother. Mike Sennett commented, “It appears that much of the focus today is on Smith and his nitrogen, whatever, procedure.” His sibling, Chuck Sennett, added, “He must endure the consequences for what he inflicted upon our mother,” underscoring their mother’s remembrance as a “affectionate, compassionate woman”, as reported by CNN.

 

Observers, including five members of the media, witnessed Smith’s execution at Holman Correctional Facility. Following the commencement of gas flowing into his mask, Smith purportedly grinned, gestured towards his family, and conveyed “I adore you”. Observers noted two to four minutes of contorting and approximately five minutes of labored breathing preceding his demise, according to BBC.

 

The authorization for utilizing nitrogen for executions has only been granted by three states. Despite legal contests and appeals, the US Supreme Court, along with a federal appeals court, declined to intervene, permitting Alabama to proceed with the execution. State officials welcomed the court’s ruling, interpreting it as a rebuff of efforts to forestall the execution through any means, as stated by Attorney General Steve Marshall.