Additional Coverage:
Alabama to Execute Prisoner Using Nitrogen Gas
Two years after a botched lethal injection attempt, Alabama is scheduled to execute Alan Eugene Miller using nitrogen gas on Thursday. Miller, convicted in 2000 for a workplace shooting spree, will be the second person in the US to be executed via this method.
Nitrogen Execution Raises Concerns
Nitrogen hypoxia involves depriving a person of oxygen by making them breathe only nitrogen through a mask. Alabama officials claim it is "humane," but eyewitnesses to a previous execution reported the inmate remained conscious and struggled for several minutes.
Miller’s Objections
Miller has expressed concerns about the mask fitting properly, fearing it could prolong his death. He also believes that nitrogen hypoxia causes pain and suffering.
Previous Execution Failure
In January, Alabama executed Kenneth Smith using nitrogen. Eyewitnesses reported he did not become unconscious quickly and thrashed violently. The state attorney general maintains that the execution was "textbook."
Legal Challenges
Miller initially challenged the use of nitrogen but settled with the state in July. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.
Human Rights Concerns
Human rights groups have raised concerns about the use of nitrogen, calling it "human experimentation." Medical experts warn that a lack of oxygen in the mask could lead to slow asphyxiation.
Support for Capital Punishment Waning
Maya Foa of Reprieve believes that the use of lethal injection or nitrogen suffocation is a "lie" and that support for capital punishment is declining in the US.