Alabama to allow first execution using nitrogen hypoxia

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On Wednesday, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of a motion to allow the state to execute Kenneth Smith with nitrogen hypoxia.

The use of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method has never been tested. The gas has a history of being extremely deadly and could pose a threat to the staff and spiritual advisers present in the execution chamber.

Attorney General Steve Marshall posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, after the court granted his motion to allow Alabama to use nitrogen hypoxia on Smith.

Alison Mollman, interim legal director of the ACLU of Alabama, made a statement denouncing the use of nitrogen hypoxia. Mollman stated that Marshall and Governor Kay Ivey could be putting the lives of staff, spiritual advisers, media, and victims at risk if they do not stop Smith’s execution.

Alabama previously tried to execute Smith last year but failed due to a botched lethal injection. Now, they are trying again, only with a method never tested before and could harm or kill others.

Update on Page 8, post #148.​

 
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I was curious what I could find about the execution and came across this:
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Apparently they served his last meal earlier than normal and restricted his liquid intake to reduce the possibility of him vomiting as the gas is administered. I seem to remember something coming out about being required to stop the execution if he started vomiting during the process. I'm a bit surprised his lawyer didn't jump on that claiming altering the usual process like to stop him from puking and choking to death that violated his civil rights in some stupid way and claiming if they had to limit his liquid intake like that then it shows its not a humane method of execution or something to that effect. Not that I buy that, its a flimsy bs grasp at straws but even so its a card i'm surprised wasn't played. At a minimum I suspect such a move could have at least forced a temporary stay in order to consider those points. Particularly if some threat of a civil rights lawsuit was threatened. No way it would have gotten him off death row but it could have bought him some time and makes me question why the lawyer didn't at least try to push those points
 
No. 7 cat said:
It doesn't seem an effective means of execution (it kills but slowly and likely painfully) and surely fails any 'cruel and unusual' test.
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Hypoxia isn't painful in the least. If he hadn't explicitly been made aware that the gas had been turned on, he wouldn't even have noticed.
 
teriyakiburns said:
Hypoxia isn't painful in the least. If he hadn't explicitly been made aware that the gas had been turned on, he wouldn't even have noticed.
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One of the things that's so dangerous about hypoxia in industrial settings, aviation, mountaineering , etc is that it's a gradual intoxicating effect as the oxygen levels are reduced and then it's just lights out past a certain point. People don't suffer, they get confused and sleepy or just pass out depending on how little oxygen there is.

Suffocating or drowning CAN be an extremely distressing or even painful but that's a different mechanism. From what I've read what causes the sense of panic and pain isn't a lack of oxygen, but rather high blood CO2 levels. That means if you can still actually breathe, even an inert gas like nitrogen or helium, you won't actually get that drowning feeling as you'll still be expirating CO2
 
I can guarantee this article and the description of the execution is as vivid and over the top as possible to try and dissuade other states and to make people whine about it.
 
Animals are more deserving of this as a humane kill method. Would this be too expensive for small scale farming?
 
Here's another Daily Mail article on the execution; "Minute by gruesome minute: From his last words to the final horrifying spasm on his gurney, how America's first nitrogen gas execution saw killer Kenneth Smith thrash around while his wife wept during grisly 22-minute death in Alabama prison"

As is typical for the DM, it's quite sensationalist. (Eleven minutes before Smith fell unconscious? Unlikely if he was breathing pure nitrogen.)

The only thing really worth noting is that Kiwi Farms gets namechecked in the readers' comments: :biggrin:
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Clockwork said:
Here's another Daily Mail article on the execution; "Minute by gruesome minute: From his last words to the final horrifying spasm on his gurney, how America's first nitrogen gas execution saw killer Kenneth Smith thrash around while his wife wept during grisly 22-minute death in Alabama prison"

As is typical for the DM, it's quite sensationalist. (Eleven minutes before Smith fell unconscious? Unlikely if he was breathing pure nitrogen.)

The only thing really worth noting is that Kiwi Farms gets namechecked in the readers' comments: :biggrin:
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Nice of you to share your DM account ;)

Edit: Of course the (((media))) has to pretend it was some horrific ordeal. It's like the inverse of MUH FISHTANK CLEANER
 
Clockwork said:
Here's another Daily Mail article on the execution; "Minute by gruesome minute: From his last words to the final horrifying spasm on his gurney, how America's first nitrogen gas execution saw killer Kenneth Smith thrash around while his wife wept during grisly 22-minute death in Alabama prison"
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Should I wait with baited breath for the gruesome minute by minute retelling of how he killed his victim?

No, of course not.

For some reason, his murder wasn't "horrifying" , his victim didn't "thrash" and nobody certainly "wept" for them when it was over.... that's' just silly.

Criminals are the real victims after all.

Rather telling that through all of this, nobody seems to remember the name of the person he killed.

Which is why he was on death row to start with.
 
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