State’s ‘slow and agonizing’ execution of Kenneth Smith using an untested method labeled as cruel by experts and advocates

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/14097254

Smith’s execution by “nitrogen hypoxia” took around 22 minutes, according to media witnesses, who were led into a viewing room at the William C Holman correctional facility in Atmore shortly before 8 pm local time.

After the nitrogen gas began flowing, Smith convulsed on the gurney for several minutes. The state had previously said the nitrogen gas would cause Smith to lose consciousness in seconds and die within minutes, according to the Associated Press.

“I’ve been to four previous executions and I’ve never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas,” Lee Hedgepeth, a journalist who witnessed the execution, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
    111·
    1 year ago

    Here’s a summary of some results from cyanide gas executions.

    Here’s for the electric chair.

    Here’s a short overview of lethal injection, not as heavy on gory details. But in short, the problem is that a paralyzing agent is one of the elements injected, and reports from people who survived botched executions are that it was excruciatingly painful and they were simply unable to indicate any distress.

    It’s absurd to say that because I haven’t personally been executed I can’t learn anything about it or have an opinion on it.

    • Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world
      36·
      1 year ago

      I quoted you, and you spoke in an absolute which you can’t know. Regardless if he was feeling pain or not, convulsing for several minutes is suspect.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
        42·
        1 year ago

        I can read accounts from people who’ve observed the results of the methods, and in some cases from interviewing people who survived partial executions, and I spoke in the belief after reading those accounts that each individual method has strong indications that it’s akin to torture. It might have sounded like my strong statement was just saying some bullshit but it’s actually based on individually learning about each method, and concluding for each one that there’s a strong indication that it’s akin to torture.

        You’re free to feel differently, or to bring to the table some sort of reason why what I said was wrong, if you like.