Alabama is getting ready to conduct its second nitrogen gas execution, raising debates about the humaneness of this new method of carrying out the death penalty. Alan Eugene Miller, 59, is set to be executed using this method at a prison in south Alabama. Miller was convicted of killing three individuals in workplace shootings back in 1999. The execution involves placing a respirator gas mask over the inmate’s face to replace breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, leading to death by a lack of oxygen.
In January, Kenneth Smith was the first person in Alabama to undergo nitrogen gas execution. However, there were concerns about the level of pain Smith experienced during his execution. He exhibited seizure-like spasms for over two minutes and had several minutes of gasping breathing. Despite the controversy, Alabama officials, led by Attorney General Steve Marshall, defended the nitrogen hypoxia system as reliable and humane while announcing a lawsuit settlement that paved the way for Miller’s execution. The state has also scheduled another nitrogen execution for November.
Advocates against the death penalty and those representing inmates facing nitrogen execution have criticized the lack of transparency and scrutiny surrounding the new method. They argue that the issues and questions raised by Smith’s execution need to be addressed before further executions take place. Petitions were delivered to Gov. Kay Ivey to halt Miller’s execution, along with those of four other death row inmates set to be executed in the span of a week, a sharp contrast to the decreasing trend of death penalty usage in the U.S.
Miller, a delivery truck driver, was convicted of the brutal murders of three men in Pelham, Alabama, in 1999. The shootings occurred at two different workplaces, resulting in the deaths of Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy, and Terry Jarvis. Despite initially pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, Miller was found guilty and sentenced to death. After experiencing difficulties during a previous attempted execution by lethal injection, a new agreement was reached for Miller to undergo execution by nitrogen gas.
The terms of the settlement agreement between Miller and the state were not disclosed, but it was known that Miller had requested changes to the nitrogen gas execution protocol, including the use of medical-grade nitrogen and a sedative beforehand. Although the state has not confirmed any adjustments to the execution procedures, Miller’s attorney emphasized that the settlement was made to protect his client’s constitutional rights. The debate surrounding the use of nitrogen gas for executions in Alabama continues as the state prepares for its upcoming executions.