Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith, a convicted murderer, using a new method called nitrogen gas, which was the first time it was used in the United States.
Smith had been on death row for over 35 years for the murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett in 1988. He was declared dead on Thursday at 8:25 pm after nitrogen gas was pumped into a facemask, causing suffocation.
Smith was found guilty of the murder-for-hire that occurred on March 18, 1988, in Colbert County, Alabama. Charles Sennett, Elizabeth’s husband, arranged for Billy Gray Williams to carry out the murder. Williams then enlisted Smith and John Forrest Parker to help. Smith and Parker were the ones who fatally stabbed Elizabeth Sennett at her home.
During the execution at Holman Prison, witnesses observed Smith writhing for about two to four minutes, followed by heavy breathing for approximately five minutes.
Alabama faced criticism for using an untested method, with concerns about potential torture, but proceeded with nitrogen hypoxia despite a previous failed attempt.
The UN and others urged reconsideration due to the untested nature. Smith’s accomplice, John Parker, was executed in 2010, and Charles Sennett died by suicide.
Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi are the three states approving nitrogen hypoxia, defending it as a humane method.
The execution happened amid declining support for the death penalty in the U.S., reaching 53 percent, the lowest since 1972, according to recent data.
