.ON JANUARY 25TH Kenneth Eugene Smith became the very first person anywhere to become executed by nitrogen hypoxia. He was actually convicted in 1989 of killing Elizabeth Sennett, the partner of a minister from Alabama, on her other half’s orders. The state had first attempted to execute him, by fatal treatment, in Nov 2022, but bungled the operation.
After that, Mr Smith selected to be nailed to a cross by unique means. His punishment has triggered indignation: Alabama states nitrogen hypoxia is a simple, easy fatality however many health care professionals disagree. Some have parallelled it to torment.
Why performed Alabama authorize this unproved approach?