Alabama in late January became the first state to use nitrogen gas in an execution.
58-year-old Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death Jan. 25, 2024 for the 1988 murder-for-hire killing of 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett.
Alabama has said it plans to continue using this new method.
Other states are considering following its lead given that nitrogen gas, the chief material in a nitrogen execution, is readily available to purchase.
But at least one company has said it won’t supply nitrogen for execution, and anti-death penalty groups hope others will do the same.
