The state of Alabama is set to execute a death row prisoner using a method that has never been tested before. The Supreme Court has given the green light for the execution of Kenneth Smith to proceed, despite objections from his attorneys. Smith is slated to be the first inmate in history to be put to death by nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves inhaling pure nitrogen gas until suffocation occurs.
Smith has been on death row for over two decades for his involvement in the 1988 killing of Elizabeth Senate. The victim's husband, a pastor, had hired Smith and two others to carry out the murder. Smith's lawyers have raised concerns about the execution method, citing previous botched attempts by the state. Two years ago, an execution by lethal injection failed after four hours of failed attempts to find a suitable vein.
