Kenneth Smith executed by nitrogen in controversial demise row case

Convicted assassin Kenneth Smith thrashed violently and repeatedly gasped for air throughout a 22-minute execution as he grew to become the primary inmate to be put to demise with nitrogen gasoline.

The 58-year-old was strapped to a gurney and fitted with a masks and a respiration tube that managed the gasoline, slowly depriving him of oxygen, at William C. Holman jail in Atmore, Alabama final night time.

Moments earlier than the execution, he stated: “Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards… Thank you for supporting me. Love you all”. He then turned to his household and signed the phrases “I love you”.

Journalists contained in the room described how Smith appeared to battle as he was put to demise. Lee Hedgepeth stated: “I’ve been to four previous executions and I’ve never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas.

“Kenny just began to gasp for air repeatedly and the execution took about 25 minutes total.”

Also current was the household of Smith’s sufferer, 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett, who was brutally murdered in a $1,000 killing-for-hire job arrange by her husband, Charles Sennett, who deliberate to gather the insurance coverage cash.

The execution comes as The Independent continues its marketing campaign to finish the demise penalty, having uncovered the shortcomings of capital punishment as an efficient crime prevention device and as a morally abhorrent act of violence by the state.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who didn’t reply to a request to attend the execution, stated: “On March 18, 1988, 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett’s life was brutally taken from her by Kenneth Eugene Smith. After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes.

“The execution was lawfully carried out by nitrogen hypoxia, the method previously requested by Mr Smith as an alternative to lethal injection. At long last, Mr Smith got what he asked for, and this case can finally be put to rest.

“I pray that Elizabeth Sennett’s family can receive closure after all these years dealing with that great loss.”

Before his execution, Smith was visited in jail by his spouse and sons and was given a final meal of T-bone steak, hash browns, toast and eggs, which he reportedly hardly ate.

And regardless of late Eleventh-hour appeals made to cease the execution by the demise row prisoner’s legal professionals, who described it as merciless and experimental, the US Supreme Court declined, and Smith was led to the execution room the place officers started administering the toxic gasoline at 7.53pm.

The nitrogen flowed by way of a masks for round quarter-hour, stated John Hamm, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections. Media witnesses within the room described how Smith appeared aware earlier than shaking and writhing throughout the restraints on the gurney, and was respiration closely.

Afterwards, Smith’s non secular adviser, Rev Dr Jeff Hood informed reporters: “When they turned the nitrogen on, he [Smith] started to convulse, he popped up on the gurney time and again, he shook the entire gurney,

“I might see the corrections officers, I feel they have been very shocked that this didn’t go easily – one of many state officers within the room was so nervous she was faucet dancing.

‘(Smith) kept breathing for what could possibly be up to nine minutes, ten minutes, unbelievable evil was unleashed tonight in Alabama… that was torture.”

The use of nitrogen gas was the first time a new execution method had been used in the US since 1982.

It followed a previous attempt to execute Smith with lethal injection in 2022 that was called off because authorities could not connect intravenous lines into his system.

Smith claimed the experience left him with physical and psychological pain, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

The state had predicted that the nitrogen gas in the second execution attempt would cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes.

But Rev Hood stated: “We didn’t see somebody go unconscious in 30 seconds. What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life.”

Among these current on the execution have been the sons of Smith’s sufferer. Afterwards, one of many, Chuck Sennett, informed reporters he’d forgiven Smith, however stated: “Kenneth Smith made some bad decisions 35 years ago and his debt was paid tonight.”

In the weeks main as much as his execution, Smith’s attorneys tried a number of last-ditch makes an attempt to spare his life because of the dangers related to the brand new methodology.

In a separate attraction that additionally made its strategy to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, justices have been requested whether or not trying a second execution on Smith would represent “cruel and unusual punishments” underneath the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution.

But each courts determined towards intervening the day earlier than Smith was put to demise.

Earlier this month, a bunch of United Nations consultants publicly said they have been alarmed on the considered the state utilizing the brand new methodology. The organisation stated: “We are concerned that nitrogen hypoxia would result in a painful and humiliating death.”

Another group of consultants, the American Veterinary Medical Association, revealed it didn’t use sure gases to euthanise particular mammals as a result of they create an “anoxic environment that is distressing for some species”.

As a part of its marketing campaign to finish the demise penalty, The Independent has revealed how corrupt policing, racial bias, and federal regulation is sending folks to demise row at alarming price. There are round 2,500 folks on demise row throughout America.

Smith’s crime noticed him play an element in a three-person murder-for-hire staff who stabbed Ms Sennett in 1988. It was believed that Ms Sennett’s debt-ridden husband, Charles, deliberate the homicide to gather on her life insurance coverage.

Mr Sennett killed himself days later – whereas the 2 different males have been convicted. Billy Gray Williams was sentenced to life in jail with out parole and died in 2020. John Forest Parker was executed by way of deadly injection in 2010.

Smith’s stays will probably be launched to the Escambia County Coroner and brought to the Mobile Lab of the Department of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem examination.

Source: independent.co.uk