Alabama

Death Row Inmate Faces Controversial Execution Method in Alabama

Alabama plans to execute death row inmate Kenneth Smith using nitrogen gas on January 25, marking the state's first use of this experimental method. The controversial procedure has drawn criticism from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who described it as potential torture. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends sedation for large animals euthanized with nitrogen, but Alabama's protocol lacks sedation. Smith was sentenced to death in 1988 for a murder-for-hire and experienced a failed execution attempt in November 2022.