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First death row inmate executed by nitrogen gas suffered ‘horrific’ death
Metro ^ | Jan 26 | Tom Sanders

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 ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: fakenews
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To: marron

“What do they use to put an animal to sleep? Takes seconds.

Had a BAD experience with that once! It was NOT painless for the dog or me! I try not to think about it as it still upsets me years later.


81 posted on 01/26/2024 12:37:33 PM PST by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: plain talk

total head up your A bs


82 posted on 01/26/2024 12:37:46 PM PST by A strike (Words can have gender, humans cannot.)
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To: RandFan

Beheadings WILL RETURN. The Bible says so. I imagine it will be via guillotine since it’s very efficient for large numbers of people, as the French once demonstrated.

There was a movie about some students in Germany that were caught passing out flyers concerning how they were loosing the war. Their execution was very German, meaning efficient.

https://youtu.be/wybS7FfqupM?si=bOVGvbTQamLoToER


83 posted on 01/26/2024 12:39:35 PM PST by Dogbert41 (“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” -Matthew 5:9)
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To: plain talk

“How can it be so hard to just quietly put someone to sleep and execute them?”

Probably harder than actually withholding judgement on anything the “media” claims, until the actual facts are known. From what I have read, it did not take 22 minutes to kill him, they waited 22 minutes to check for death.


84 posted on 01/26/2024 12:44:13 PM PST by Yogafist
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To: marron
What do they use to put an animal to sleep? Takes seconds.

They use a strong narcotic mix called "Euthanol." The heart stops beating and the animal dies before the full dose is even administered.

According to a previous story I read, the lethal injection route was attempted and abandoned because they couldn't find a vein.

85 posted on 01/26/2024 12:44:48 PM PST by exDemMom (Dr. exDemMom, infectious disease and vaccines research specialist.)
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To: RandFan

There is no reason that punishment by execution for committing a capital crime should be painless.

It is punishment, after all.


86 posted on 01/26/2024 12:48:09 PM PST by FarCenter
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To: RandFan

Are ALL the witnesses in agreement? I stand by my opinion that struggling against being put to death is a normal physical reaction, and does not necessarily mean he suffered physically.


87 posted on 01/26/2024 12:49:38 PM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: calljack
I call BS. I’ve had training on rescuing people from a room filled with nitrogen as part of my job.

I call BS, too.

We had oxygen sensors installed in our labs because there was a real danger of the labs losing oxygen. There was an incident in which one of my scientists was working in a lab that was losing oxygen and the alarm did not go off. I don't remember what alerted him to leave the lab, but he was able to get out before all of the oxygen was gone. He was quite upset, since he could have died in there. The thing is, he had no idea that the oxygen was being displaced by nitrogen.

88 posted on 01/26/2024 12:50:08 PM PST by exDemMom (Dr. exDemMom, infectious disease and vaccines research specialist.)
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To: backpacker_c
Various drug companies have forbiden the use of their drugs for use in lethal injections.

Yet they make those drugs to euthanize animals.

How is it that the same drugs that are considered to give a quick, painless death to animals including our pets are deemed too cruel to give to a convicted murderer?

89 posted on 01/26/2024 12:53:53 PM PST by exDemMom (Dr. exDemMom, infectious disease and vaccines research specialist.)
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To: RandFan

This is my take: the bastard held his breath as long as he could and his thrashing around was either theatrics or his body fighting against the CO2 build-up from holding his breath. Possibly a combination of both. Once he had to breathe in fresh “air” the nitrogen ended him about as peacefully as could be.


90 posted on 01/26/2024 12:55:17 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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To: sonova

Much simpler to use Nitrogen.


91 posted on 01/26/2024 12:55:36 PM PST by Pikachu_Dad
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To: RandFan

The more they suffer, the better.

Eye for an eye would be better.

Since we can’t do that, lets go back to hanging and firing squads.

The shooters don’t miss and the rope doesn’t break.

Hanging is fool proof. It has a built in back up plan. If the neck doesn’t break, you will still strangle to death.

BRING BACK PUBLIC HANGINGS! It WOULD BE a great “deterrent” to future capital criminals.

Fight crime by BUILDING MORE PRISONS!

In MY prisons, inmates would be held in their individual cells 24/7/365.

ZERO chance of inmate to inmate crime.
ZERO chance of prison riots.
ZERO chance of of inmates attacking guards.
ZERO chance of escape.
Less guards/staff required.
Opportunities for local employment (making license plates etc.)

ELIMINATE PAROLE!

Do the crime, do the time. Sentenced to 10 years, DO TEN YEARS!

If we can’t just remove these shreds of human debris from the earth, then at least remove them from society for the actual time they are sentenced for.


92 posted on 01/26/2024 12:58:34 PM PST by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: stremba
A fast and painless method certainly seems more humane than so-called humane methods that allow the person to live for many minutes during the execution, doesn’t it?

This reminds me of the veterinary euthanasia manual that I read at lunchtime over the course of a few days. Some of the methods sound horrific and an observer would find them very distressing to watch. But the methods are all recommended because they give a quick and painless death to the animal. The manual does recommend to select one of the less graphic methods if the animal's owner is watching.

93 posted on 01/26/2024 12:59:25 PM PST by exDemMom (Dr. exDemMom, infectious disease and vaccines research specialist.)
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To: RandFan

...unlike his victim. /Sarcasm Off


94 posted on 01/26/2024 1:00:32 PM PST by Feckless (The US Gubbmint / This Tagline CENSORED by FR \ IrOnic, ain't it?)
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To: Pontiac

One symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning is headache. I doubt it would be a painless way to die.


95 posted on 01/26/2024 1:01:26 PM PST by exDemMom (Dr. exDemMom, infectious disease and vaccines research specialist.)
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To: calljack

Thank you.


96 posted on 01/26/2024 1:01:45 PM PST by OKSooner ("You won't like what comes after America." - Leonard Cohen.)
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To: RandFan
This is all bullcrap.The science behind nitrogen hypoxia is very well understood. It is the most "humane" way to kill someone one possible.
97 posted on 01/26/2024 1:03:26 PM PST by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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To: BudgieRamone

“I should qualify I am not an advocate for capital punishment...”

Capital punishment was one of the first two commands God gave Noah when he walked out of the ark.


98 posted on 01/26/2024 1:10:38 PM PST by odawg
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To: XRdsRev

I would opt for hanging. Quick, clean, painless.

…And SIMPLE.


99 posted on 01/26/2024 1:12:40 PM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: budj

Has this spiritual adviser ever witnessed a late term abortion?


100 posted on 01/26/2024 1:15:06 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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