Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised. This story contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers discretion advised.
The execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith (July 4, 1965 – January 25, 2024) took place in the U.S. state of Alabama by means of nitrogen hypoxia. It was the first execution in the world to use this particular method. Smith was convicted of the March 18, 1988, murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett in Colbert County, Alabama.
wittness describes final moments of alabama prisoner.
following the flow of nitrogen gas kennet smith laid on the gurnie and shook for about two minutes shaking and writhing on that gurnie , the gurnie did move several times there. following that shaiking on the gurnie there were several minutes about between 5 and 7 minutes according to mediate witnesses of heavy brathing on the gurnie.
several minutes later a correctional officer did walk up to kenneth smith and appear to look over at his face. he did not touch kennet smith or actually do anything that media would were able to see kenneth smith but he did lean over and look at him for a several minutes before walking back to the wall to return to his post there.
about 8:08 movement appeared to stop and there were no perceptible breathing from kenneth smith.
the curtains to the execution viewing room closed at 8:15p.m central time and governor Ivy pronounced death at 8:25.central time.
one thing that kennets attorneys were very afreaid of is that he might vomit into the mask,he did not show any signs of womiting there into the mask.
also the alabama attorney general ‘s office had said in prior court filings that they expected him to lose consciousness pretty quicly after the gas began to flow but media witnesses saw that kennet smith appeared to be conscious for several minutes after that gas began to flow. again before he proceeded to shake and ride on that gurnie for about 2 minutes.
again that 2 minutes of shaking and rising on the gurny was followed by a 5 to 7 minutes of heavy breathing.
Alabama executes kennnet smith with nitrogen gas January 25, 2024
the state of Aabama executing deathrow inamate kenneth smith overnight.marking
the first in time in US history nitrogen gas was used to carry out capital punishment.
Alabama’s Commissioner of the Department of Corrections John Hamm
” smith was pronounced deceased by physicians at 8:25 pm central standard. time”
supreme court ha denied an appeal in a 6 to 3 decision with the liberal justices dissenting,justice sotomayor auccusing alabama of experimenting with human life saying.
Alambama has selected him as its guinea pig to test a method of execution never attempted before
smith was one of three men convicted in the murder
of f Elizabeth Sennett in rhe 1980s
in 2022 smith and the stte of Alabama agreeing to a new form of execution.
after the state botched a lethal injection execution.
in a settlement with smith the state of Alabama agreeing to not pursue lethal injection again .
and instead attempt a new method of execution.
nitrogen hypoxia
smith only eating some of his final meal his last words were.
Nitrogen hypoxia has been controversial with advocate noting that a version of the method has been used in some assisted suicides in europe.
lawyers for the state argue that the method is painless with unconsciousness occurring in a matter of seconds.
But he United Nations human rights office called on Alabama to stop the execution .
” no scientific evidence to prove.that execution by nitrogen inhalation will not cause grave suffering”
Alabama says it will continue to use the method.
” nitrogen epoxy is one of the three methods of execution so if inmates choose it then that’s the method we will use.”
Kenneth Smith execution scheduled for 6 p.m January 25, 2024
Alabama set to carry out execution that has drawn international criticism.
convicted killer kenneth smith requested to die by having pure nitrogen pumped into his lungs.but this type of execution has never been tempted in the world.
the states plan is to start kenneth smith execution at 6 pm. allthough the execution window will remain open until six in the morning if necessary.
smith is on deathrow for the 1988 murder for hire of a women in colbert county , in north alabama.
he survived an execution attempt by lethal injection in 2022.
so the state plans to use this method, called mitrogen hypoxia .a mask will be placed over smith’s face.and the oxygen he breathes will be replaced with nitrogen
state officials say that will be painless and that he’ll be unconscious within seconds.
opponents of this say that it amounts to torture.
bryan stevenson ,founder of the montgomery based Equal Justice Initiative ,reference that botched execution attempt 14 months ago.
” mr smith was taken to the chamber in 2022,strapped to a gurney for four hours, and the state could not complete the execution.
because they could not access his veins. we thougt it was barbaric and torturous and based on that, he should not be subjected to a second execution.period.”
the courts turned away a couple of last minute challenges yeasterday , there is one last ditch appeal thas pending before the US Supreme court, but smith is running out of time .
Why has US Executed a Man Using Nitrogen Gas for the First Time?
what it the most human way of taking a human life?it’s a tough question.
America is debating it, they killed a man January 25, 2024. a dethrow prisoner, he was killed by nitrogen asphixiation.
the man was called kennet smith, he was on death row for murder , committed three decades ago.
this morning he was executed by nitrogen gas simply put h was deprived of oxygen he could breathe only nitrogen, so he suffocated and died. this was done in Alabama.
they believed it’s a human way a human method for the death penalty, but the United Nations does not agree , they say it’s untested method and it’s amounts of torture.
in 1982 the US shifted to lethal injections.so why did they feel the need to change, also how many countries still use the death penalty.
On thursday morning kenneth smith had his last meal,it was eggs , steak and hash browns. soon after he was escorted to the execution room
tied to a gurney he was made to wear a face mask minutes later nitrogen gas was pumped into it. smith struggled he heaved back and forth, he was breathing heavy,he was pulling at the restraints
nearly 22 minutes later he was dead.
“what we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life, we saw minutes of someone heaving back and forth.we saw spit, we saw all sorts of stuff from his mouth develop on the mask.
we sa this mask tied to the gurney and him ripping his head forward over and over and over again. and we also saw correction officials in the room, who was visibly suprised at how bad this thing went.
smith was convicted of murder in 1988,he was hired to kill the wife of a pastor, his been on deathrow for three decades.
crime scene 1988
Alabama has tried to execute him before
the state tried the go- to method.lethal injections but it was called off at the last minute. why?because authorities could not find his vein.
which birng us to the second attempt.
its new, it’s never beein tried.
in this, the inmate is deprived of oxygen until they only breathe nitrogen
its basically choking to your own death.but that makes it controversial.
“ it appared once smith was holding his breath as long as he could and than there’s also information out there uhm..he struggled a little bit but there’s some involuntaryy movement and some agonal beathing.so that’s was all expected.and is in the uh…side effects that we’ve seen or researched.on nitrogen epoxy.
Alabama calls it the most painless and human method,but the united nations disagrees.
it says the method is risky, it could lead to torture or worse , non-fatal injuries.
The UN says it’s not been tested onhumans.,if the mask is not secured well ,it could also leak, that could endanger the lives of others.
the US introduced lethal injections in 1982,since then it’s been the most common method of execution
the last US execution using gas was in 1999,then they had used hydrogen cyanide gas .
which bring us to death penalties.
in 2022 at least 2,000 people were handed the death penalty.that year gobal executions were also at a record high. 883 people are known to have been put to death 53% rise since 2021.
these are the 11 countries that reportedly execute people,it includes china,the US, saudi arabia and Iran.
in US there were 24 executions in 2023, six more than in 2022.
today only 53 % of americans support the death penalty, the lowest level since 1972.
so what methods do they use ?
most coutries choose hanging, lethal injections or death by shooting. saudi rabia is the only one with beheading.
the nitrogen asphixiation was a first for the world, Alabama may defend it.but the world is not convinced by this execution style dubbed
“the guinea pig method”