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Recently, the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to carry out Kenneth Smith's execution using nitrogen gas, making him the first person in the United States to be put to death using this method. On Wednesday, January 24, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) rejected an appeal by Smith's lawyers who called the "experimental" method unconstitutional.
This is the second time the state will carry out Kenneth Smith's execution, the first time being a failed lethal injection in 2022. The execution stems from the murder of Elizabeth Sennett, whom he was hired to kill back in 1988.
Nitrogen hypoxia, the method that will be used to execute Smith, is a process where one is forced to inhale pure nitrogen gas by strapping an airtight mask, causing suffocation. Using nitrogen gas is highly controversial as it could amount to torture, promoting legal action from the United Nations.
Needless to say, the decision left netizens shocked, with many criticizing the SCOTUS.
"Evil. SCOTUS is evil": Internet users react to Kenneth Smith's execution using nitrogen hypoxia
Smith's execution is scheduled for approximately Thursday, January 25, at 6 pm CST at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility. However, according to the New York Times, it can be done at any moment until 6 am the next day.
As news of Kenneth Smith's execution using nitrogen gas went viral, netizens were quick to express their shock and horror. While many stated that the death penalty should be made illegal, others remarked that it was "disgusting" and "monstrous."
What did Kenneth Smith do?
Back in 1988, Charles Sennett, a minister, arranged for his wife Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett to be killed. According to WVTV, he hired Billy Gray Williams to carry out the murder. Williams in turn hired Kenneth Smith and John Parker, who were paid $1000 each. Elizabeth was found stabbed, and they made the scene look like a burglary gone wrong.
Kenneth Smith was eventually indicted for the murder. Williams, who was sentenced to life without parole, died in 2020, and Parker, who was sentenced to death, was executed in 2010.
Smith has asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the execution. However, the court has yet to issue its ruling.
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