Alabama executed a man using nitrogen gas, making it the second time the method was used in the United States. Alan Eugene Miller, convicted in 2000 for a workplace shooting spree, was put to death at the state prison in Atmore. He was executed via nitrogen hypoxia, a process where a person breathes only nitrogen and is deprived of oxygen. Critics, including human rights groups, raised concerns about the method’s effectiveness and potential suffering it may cause.
Miller was previously scheduled to be executed two years ago by lethal injection but the process failed. This time, using nitrogen, he appeared to struggle and gasp for about six minutes before his death was declared at 6:38 p.m. His death marked Alabama’s second use of nitrogen gas for executions, with Kenneth Smith being the first in January.
The use of nitrogen gas has been a controversial alternative to lethal injection, with concerns over potential suffering and prolonged death. Human rights groups have criticized the method, questioning its humaneness and comparing it to “human experimentation.” Despite legal challenges and concerns from his legal team, Alan Miller’s execution proceeded as scheduled, marking the end of a particularly active week for executions in the U.S.
The case highlights the ongoing debate around capital punishment methods and the growing opposition to executions, suggesting that public support for the death penalty is declining. The use of nitrogen gas in executions raises ethical concerns and has sparked debates among advocates and critics of the death penalty.
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