The first execution in the United States to use nitrogen gas was that of Kenneth Eugene Smith, which occurred in Alabama. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, had gone through every possible avenue of appeal, including two trips to the Supreme Court, on the grounds that the execution was unusually harsh. Kenneth Eugene Smith has already been tried and failed at execution by lethal injection in 2022 in Alabama.
Following his 1989 conviction for the murder of preacher’s wife Elizabeth Sennett, Smith received a nitrogen gas execution sentence. As the medications needed for fatal injections have become more difficult to procure, this procedure has been sanctioned as a substitute in Alabama and two other US states, adding to the national trend of a decrease in the execution of capital punishment.
Kenneth Eugene Smith’s Execution Marks Uncharted Territory with Nitrogen Gas Method
At Atmore’s Holman Correctional Facility, five journalists were present to cover the execution. Kenneth Eugene Smith thanked and loved his supporters before the gas started seeping into his mask. At 20:25 local time, witnesses saw him writhe for two to four minutes and then notice heavy breathing for approximately five minutes before he was pronounced dead.
The World Health Organization (WHO) coined the term “Disease X” to describe unexpected global public health crises. During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum, concerns were voiced regarding its harshness, which is twenty times worse than COVID-19. Even though some people on social media saw it as an attack on freedom, experts stressed the need to be ready for any unexpected health risks.
When asked about Kenneth Eugene Smith’s death, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said, “After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system,Kenneth Eugene Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes.” The execution was described by Attorney General Steve Marshall as an “effective and humane method.” A key point of the WHO conference was the importance of international collaboration in the fight against possible health hazards.
After complications with the fatal injection in 2022 delayed Kenneth Eugene Smith’s execution, some in the medical community voiced their disapproval of the use of nitrogen gas this time around. International human rights legislation concerns regarding the possibility of torture or inhumane treatment led the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights to call for a stop to the execution.
Friends, relatives, a spiritual guide, and Kenneth Eugene Smith, a lawyer, paid him visits in his last two days of life. His most recent supper had steak, eggs, and hash browns. Alabama moved forward with the nitrogen gas execution anyhow, and the Supreme Court turned down a last-minute request for a stay of execution. The application of this novel approach caused a stir, with some liberal justices voicing reservations about the method’s experimental character.
Follow for more dailyguidelines updates Click here