Alabama executed Alan Eugene Miller, the second person in the nation to be put to death by nitrogen gas. Miller, convicted of a 1999 triple homicide, initially failed to be executed by lethal injection in 2022 due to issues accessing his veins. During the gas execution, Miller gasped, shook, and struggled against his restraints for several minutes, with witnesses describing the process as inhumane and raising ethical concerns.
The use of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method has drawn criticism from various groups, including the Biden administration and senior U.N. human rights officials, who question its potential to cause cruel or torturous effects on the condemned. Despite international scrutiny, Alabama is offering assistance to other states interested in adopting nitrogen-asphyxiation executions, presenting it as a simpler alternative to lethal injection.
Miller, a delivery truck driver, was convicted of killing three people in workplace shootings fueled by delusional beliefs. Alabama plans to conduct at least two more executions this year, with one scheduled for lethal injection and another for nitrogen hypoxia. The state’s governor, Kay Ivey, praised the execution as finally serving justice for the victims and their families after two decades of waiting. The use of nitrogen gas as an execution method continues to be controversial and faces ongoing scrutiny.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com