GLITZ TV
An inmate in Alabama is set to become the first person in the United States to be executed using nitrogen gas. Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Elizabeth Senneth, lost his last-minute appeal in court. The use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution has been criticized by many, who argue that it could cause unnecessary suffering and pose risks to those present in the execution room.
Smith, now 58 years old, will be the first person to be put to death through the administration of nitrogen gas. The execution is scheduled to take place within approximately 30 hours from Thursday. Smith was one of two men convicted of killing Senneth in March 1988 in connection with a $1,000 killing deal. His accomplice, John Forrest Parker, was executed in 2010.
During the trial, Smith admitted to being present when the victim was killed but claimed that he did not actively participate in the attack. Senneth was brutally beaten, stabbed in the chest and neck, and her death was staged to appear as a home invasion and burglary. It was later revealed that Senneth’s husband, who owed debts, had orchestrated the killing in an attempt to collect insurance money. The husband, a preacher, took his own life as investigators uncovered evidence.
This is not the first time an execution has been attempted on Smith. Two years ago, Alabama tried to execute him by lethal injection, but they were unable to find a suitable vein before the death warrant expired.
The use of nitrogen gas as an alternative method of execution has been approved by Alabama and two other US states due to difficulties in obtaining the drugs used in lethal injections. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has described the use of nitrogen as the most humane method of execution ever invented. According to the state, the nitrogen gas is expected to cause loss of consciousness within seconds and death within minutes.
Some medical professionals have raised concerns about the potential effects of nitrogen gas, including violent convulsions. However, Alabama appears determined to proceed with the execution.
Reverend Jeff Hood, Smith’s spiritual adviser, will be present in the execution room despite believing that his life may be in danger. Hood is taking the risk because he feels it is his calling to be there.
Alabama has one of the highest per capita execution rates in the US, with 165 people currently on death row.
