Alabama is gearing up for a historic event as it schedules the execution of death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen hypoxia, marking the first instance of this alternative to lethal injection in the United States.
The Governor's office announced that Smith, convicted of a 1988 murder, is set to face his fate between January 25 and 26, 2024.
The innovative method involves nitrogen hypoxia, a process that robs the brain and body of oxygen, ultimately leading to the inmate's death by suffocation.
The state of Alabama finalized the protocols for this new execution method in August, following legislative approval of the alternative to lethal injection.
Smith's path to this unconventional execution took a turn in November 2022 when his lethal injection was abruptly canceled due to difficulties in setting up the IV line before the execution warrant expired.
Seizing the opportunity, Smith requested to be put to death by nitrogen gas, citing the previous execution as "botched." His plea found support in the US Supreme Court in May of this year, which granted his wish for death by nitrogen gas.
The backstory to Smith's conviction unveils a chilling murder-for-hire plot in 1988, where he, along with an accomplice, was hired by Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett's husband. Sennett's husband, involved in an affair, had orchestrated the killing and taken out a substantial insurance policy on his wife. Despite a jury's 11-1 vote for a life sentence in November, a judge overruled the decision, imposing the death penalty.
As Alabama prepares for this groundbreaking execution, it grapples with a death row population of 165 inmates, as reported by the state department of corrections. The implementation of nitrogen hypoxia signifies a significant shift in the state's approach to capital punishment, marking a notable departure from the traditional lethal injection method.
(With Agency Inputs)
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