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Pelham, Alabama
Alabama on Thursday (Sept 26) executed convicted murderer Alan Miller in the second-ever nitrogen-asphyxiation execution since the US state pioneered the method which it says is less painful than lethal injections but human rights experts say it may amount to torture.
According to a report by the news agency Reuters, Miller pulled against restraints and gasped for breath for several minutes before dying. He was 65 at the time of his death.
A botched attempt in 2022
Miller was convicted for the 1999 murders of three men, including two co-workers, in a shooting spree at two offices in Pelham, Alabama. The victims were identified as Lee Michael Holdbrooks, Terry Lee Jarvis and Christopher Scott Yancy.
Reuters reported that Alabama botched an attempt to execute Miller by lethal injection in 2022.
On Thursday evening, the 65-year-old was taken into the execution chamber at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. Pure nitrogen flowed through an industrial-safety respirator mask strapped to his face, suffocating him as it displaced oxygen.
In a statement, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said that Miller was pronounced dead at 6.38 pm local time.
'I didn't do anything to be in here'
A report by the news agency Associated Press said that Miller's final words were, "I didn't do anything to be in here."
The report said that Once the gassing began, Miller trembled on the gurney for about two minutes, at times pulling against the restraints. That was followed by about six minutes of periodic gasping breaths, the report added.
Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters afterwards that these were "involuntary body movements" and that the execution had gone as planned.
The first case in the state
The first case of execution by nitrogen-asphyxiation in Alabama was in January. The state executed Kenneth Smith, also convicted of murder. Alabama predicted that Smith would lose consciousness and suffocate within a few seconds of the nitrogen flowing through the mask.
However, Reuters reported that that it did not happen. Multiple witnesses, including Smith's family members, saw Smith heaving against his restraints and convulsing, and it appeared to take him several minutes to lose consciousness.
(With inputs from agencies)