US state carries out second execution using controversial gassing method
Alan Eugene Miller has been executed through nitrogen hypoxia, a method that some critics argue is akin to torture. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Alan Eugene Miller has been executed by nitrogen hypoxia, a method that has drawn criticism and been described by some as comparable to torture.
The execution took place in Alabama, marking the second time this controversial method has been employed. Nitrogen hypoxia involves replacing the inmate's oxygen with pure nitrogen, and proponents argue that the individual loses consciousness quickly, making the process more humane than other execution methods. However, experts have expressed concerns that the method could lead to severe pain and suffering, emphasizing that it is impossible to determine precisely when a person loses consciousness when exposed to high concentrations of nitrogen gas.
On Thursday, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, John Hamm, announced that Alan Eugene Miller, 59, had been executed using this method, and he was pronounced dead at 6:38 PM local time at Atmore prison.
An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the execution noted that Miller "shook and trembled on the gurney for about two minutes with his body at times pulling against the restraints. This was followed by about six minutes of periodic gulping breaths before he became still."
In his last words, Miller reportedly stated that he "didn’t do anything to be in here" and asked his family and friends to "take care" of someone.
In his report, Hamm confirmed the two minutes of shaking, indicating that such involuntary movements were anticipated as the body lost oxygen. "That is nothing we did not expect," he remarked, affirming, "everything went according to plan and according to our protocol."
Miller had been sentenced for the 1999 shooting deaths of three men at a workplace. In 2022, he requested execution by nitrogen hypoxia, but his request was denied. Instead, officials attempted to execute him via lethal injection in September 2022; however, the attempt was aborted due to difficulties accessing his veins.
The state later agreed to execute him using nitrogen hypoxia. Still, Miller challenged the method after it was first used in January for the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith. Witnesses reported that Smith exhibited shaking and writhing on the gurney for several minutes before he died.
Miller filed a federal lawsuit contesting Alabama's nitrogen hypoxia protocol, asserting that it would inflict undue suffering. This lawsuit was settled last month, but the specifics of the settlement remain confidential.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
The execution took place in Alabama, marking the second time this controversial method has been employed. Nitrogen hypoxia involves replacing the inmate's oxygen with pure nitrogen, and proponents argue that the individual loses consciousness quickly, making the process more humane than other execution methods. However, experts have expressed concerns that the method could lead to severe pain and suffering, emphasizing that it is impossible to determine precisely when a person loses consciousness when exposed to high concentrations of nitrogen gas.
On Thursday, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, John Hamm, announced that Alan Eugene Miller, 59, had been executed using this method, and he was pronounced dead at 6:38 PM local time at Atmore prison.
An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the execution noted that Miller "shook and trembled on the gurney for about two minutes with his body at times pulling against the restraints. This was followed by about six minutes of periodic gulping breaths before he became still."
In his last words, Miller reportedly stated that he "didn’t do anything to be in here" and asked his family and friends to "take care" of someone.
In his report, Hamm confirmed the two minutes of shaking, indicating that such involuntary movements were anticipated as the body lost oxygen. "That is nothing we did not expect," he remarked, affirming, "everything went according to plan and according to our protocol."
Miller had been sentenced for the 1999 shooting deaths of three men at a workplace. In 2022, he requested execution by nitrogen hypoxia, but his request was denied. Instead, officials attempted to execute him via lethal injection in September 2022; however, the attempt was aborted due to difficulties accessing his veins.
The state later agreed to execute him using nitrogen hypoxia. Still, Miller challenged the method after it was first used in January for the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith. Witnesses reported that Smith exhibited shaking and writhing on the gurney for several minutes before he died.
Miller filed a federal lawsuit contesting Alabama's nitrogen hypoxia protocol, asserting that it would inflict undue suffering. This lawsuit was settled last month, but the specifics of the settlement remain confidential.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
