USA | Alabama | Kenneth Eugene Smith: America’s first death row inmate to be executed with pure nitrogen | What does nitrogen hypoxia look like? | Death Penalty | Elizabeth Sennett | the world

The Alabama Supreme Court authorized the state to execute a death row inmate using nitrogen gas. This is a method that has never been used before America. The inmate’s name is Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, who has already had a failed execution attempt.

The all-Republican court made its decision 6 to 2. The judges accepted the state Attorney General’s request, Steve MarshallA death warrant Kenneth Eugene SmithOne of the two convicted of contract killing Elizabeth Sennett The AP explained that it happened in 1988 in northwest Alabama.

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The order does not specify the method to be used in the process SmithBut the Alabama attorney general raised concerns Nitrogen hypoxia He said in the documents submitted to the court Univision.

An exact date of execution must be set Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.

Andhra agency has mentioned that Alabama It will be the first state to attempt the death penalty with Nitrogen gasThe proposed new enforcement system is likely to be the first to be litigated.

In addition to Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi are recognized Nitrogen hypoxia to implement the death penalty, but no one tried to use it.

As per the proposed methodology, AP explained. A prisoner is forced to breathe only nitrogen, depriving him of the oxygen he needs to maintain bodily functions, and thus his death.. Nitrogen is harmless when inhaled with 78% oxygen in the air inhaled by humans.

While proponents of the method say the death will be painless, opponents liken it to human experimentation, the AP said.

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) said in a statement that the death penalty protocol Alabama “The morgue provides no guarantee of safety for those in the room, and does not specify how the state will prevent gas from leaking out of the room and harming witnesses.”

According to Joel Givot, an anesthesiologist quoted by DPIC, Nitrogen gas “dangerous to bystanders”.

“There are still many unanswered questions Alabama Go ahead responsibly with this protocol,” said Robin Maher, executive director of DBIC.

For his part, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall praised the ruling. “Nitrogen hypoxia cleared the way for Kenneth Eugene Smith’s execution“, said.

Advocates of Smith They appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court to overturn nitrogen executions. They argued that the prisoner should not be a “test subject” for the new execution system.

After the ruling, attorney Robert Cross vowed to continue the legal fight and noted in a statement that two judges, Chief Justice Tom Parker and Justice Greg Cooke, disagreed with Wednesday’s decision, the AP noted.

They didn’t find the nerve

last year, Kenneth Eugene Smith He was already about to be hanged Poison injection. But still Alabama Department of Corrections He quashed the execution because the required two intravenous lines could not be inserted into the prisoner’s veins.

Commissioner John Hamm said prison staff tried for an hour, the maximum time limit allowed by law, to connect the inmate’s two IV lines.

After a day of failure, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced a moratorium on executions in the state To allow internal review of lethal injection procedures.

Since 2018, this is the third attempt to execute Smith.

Following his execution in 2022, Smith argued in district court that the state should not attempt to execute him again. Poison injection.

The crime for which Smith was convicted

Kenneth Eugene Smith was One of two men convicted of the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett45 years old, preacher’s wife Charles SennettIt happened the same year in Colbert County Alabama.

According to the allegation cited by Univision, Smith and his partner John Forrest Parker They each received $1,000 for the kill Sennett.

The woman’s husband was in debt and wanted to collect the money from her life insurance, so he conspired to commit the crime.. Sennett She was stabbed and beaten with a fireplace pan.

A week after the crime, the priest committed suicide as he was considered a suspect.

when John Forrest Parker He was hanged in 2010.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect them to forgive me. I’m truly sorry,” Parker told the child victims before he was executed.