Alabama carried out its first execution by asphyxiation with nitrogen gas after a previous attempt using lethal injection failed. Kenneth Eugene Smith, convicted of a murder-for-hire, was awaiting execution for over 30 years. The 57-year-old was sentenced to death after staging a robbery that resulted in the death of Elizabeth Sennett in 1988. His co-conspirator was executed in 2010, and the man who ordered the hit on his wife committed suicide shortly after her murder.
In a botched execution scenario, Smith’s lethal injection was called off after multiple failed attempts to insert IVs. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey stated that the execution, although unsuccessful, was the right thing to do in line with the promise made to the victim’s family.
Dee Smith, Kenneth’s wife, was present throughout the failed execution attempt. She expressed her anguish at witnessing the process. Despite legal challenges and previous botched executions in the state, the execution went ahead with fatal consequences.
The state Attorney General, Steve Marshall, called the failed execution a travesty of justice at a press conference after the incident. Human rights activists and critics raised concerns about the inhumane nature of capital punishment, highlighting the ordeal Smith went through before being returned to his cell.
Smith’s story sheds light on the controversial debate surrounding the death penalty and the methods used to carry out executions. The failed attempt in Alabama underscores the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by states grappling with capital punishment. Dee Smith’s account provides a poignant perspective on the emotional toll of being a witness to the ultimate penalty.
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