Alabama executes Kenneth Smith with new landmark 'Humane' nitrogen method

Alabama executed convicted murderer Kenneth Smith on Thursday evening, marking the first time the state employed asphyxiation by nitrogen gas as an alternative to lethal injections. 

Governor Kay Ivey announced the completion of the execution, hailing the new method as "the most painless and humane" way of carrying out the death penalty.

The use of nitrogen gas is a departure from traditional lethal injections and comes after a previous unsuccessful attempt to execute Smith in 2022. During that attempt, officials struggled to insert an intravenous line's needle into Smith's body, leading to the procedure's eventual abandonment.

United Nations human rights experts, as well as lawyers representing Smith, raised concerns about the experimental nature of the nitrogen asphyxiation method. They argued that it posed risks of a potentially torturous death or non-fatal injury. Despite these objections, the state proceeded with the execution.

Smith, convicted of a murder-for-hire in 1988, had already faced a failed execution attempt in November 2022. The extended legal battle and multiple attempts to execute him added a layer of complexity to the case.

Governor Ivey, in a statement, remarked, "On March 18, 1988, 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett's life was brutally taken from her by Kenneth Eugene Smith. After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr. Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes."

Later this evening, Alabama prison officials and journalists who witnessed the execution are scheduled to provide additional insights into the process. 

The use of nitrogen asphyxiation raises ethical questions and sparks debates about the evolving landscape of capital punishment methods.