Posted on 01/26/2024 11:44:52 AM PST by RandFan
A witness to the first ever US prisoner to be executed by ‘painless’ nitrogen gas says Kenneth Eugene Smith writhed in agony as he suffered a ‘horrific’ death.
The killer-for-hire, 58, was fitted with a gas mask which was pumped full of 100% nitrogen gas at the execution chamber at the William C. Holman prison in Atmore, Alabama.
State authorities had predicted unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes.
But instead Smith took 22 minutes to die, convulsing in his chair and tugging against his restraints for several minutes before losing consciousness.
At one point as the killer thrashed against his restraints, his wife Deanna, wearing a T-shirt reading ‘Never Alone’, reportedly cried out for him from the witness box.
Smith was sentenced to death in 1996 for a murder-for-hire killing of a preacher’s wife in 1988, which he was paid just $1000 to commit.
As he spoke his final words, delivered through the gas mask on his face, Smith made a heart sign with his left hand to his family before declaring: ‘Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards… I’m leaving with love, peace and light.’
Jeff Hood, who acted as Smith’s spiritual guide throughout the ordeal, said the execution was the worst thing he’d ever witnessed.
‘When they turned the nitrogen on, he began to convulse, he popped up on the gurney over and over again, he shook the whole gurney,’ he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at metro.co.uk ...
Is this "cruel and unusual" punishment ?
Important to note: Executions are often botched as I understand it. It's nothing new but this is a world first and doesn't look good.
What do they use to put an animal to sleep? Takes seconds.
There’s clearly a lot of anti-death penalty writing going on today.
I’d love to hear what “the preachers wife” would have to say about this.
He was holding his breath. They just waited 22 minutes to take off the mask. He was dead well before that.
Of course, he had not witnessed the murder that Smith had committed.
This pleases me to no end. Murderers, pedophiles and democrats DESERVE torture. More please. /spit
“Horrific death”
Worse than the victim he beat and stabbed?
By the way, the woman he murdered was stabbed 10+ times. That must’ve smart I’ll bet.
It took 35 years longer for him to die than his victim.
Well in California a newborn baby can face certain death, if the mother wishes.
It shouldn’t take 22 minutes to execute someone. They screwed this up and have now given the anti-capital punishment ammo to whine and moan.
How can it be so hard to just quietly put someone to sleep and execute them?
Alabama could go back to the electric chair
he obviously held his breath while thrashing around for show
then out of an abundance of caution they waited another 20 minutes before taking off the mask.
Was this on Pay per View ?
Did I somehow miss it ?
First I have to believe their accounts which I do not.
Next he lived 28 years longer than his victim who was completely innocent.
They say he only was paid $1000 to kill a minister’s wife as if we’re supposed to feel sorry for him because he didn’t make enough on the job.
I wouldn’t pick for him to suffer but I bet a lot of people who knew that victim would.
They didn’t ‘screw up’ anything. They guy is dead. They succeeded.
Dis his victim suffer? This story doesn’t give the details.
I think there are enough tried and true methods for dispatching convicted murderers.
I call BS. I’ve had training on rescuing people from a room filled with nitrogen as part of my job. Rule 1. People have no clue it’s happening, they just black out and die. Rule 2. Don’t go in the room without oxygen tanks. Rule 3. See Rule 2.
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