On Thursday, January 26, 2024, Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 58-year-old convicted murderer, using nitrogen gas, marking the first time this new method has been used in the United States

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. Smith was sentenced to death for his role in a 1988 murder-for-hire, and his execution took place at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore
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.The execution process began at 7:53 p.m. local time, and Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. 
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. Nitrogen gas was administered through a face mask, causing oxygen depletion and leading to Smith's death
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. The execution took about 22 minutes from the time between the opening and closing of the curtains
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. Smith's 1989 conviction was overturned, but he was convicted again in 1996
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. The jury recommended a life sentence by 11-1, but a judge overrode that and sentenced him to death
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. Alabama no longer allows a judge to override a jury's death penalty decision
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.The use of nitrogen gas for execution has been widely contested and criticized by human rights experts, including the United Nations
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. Volker Turk, the U.N. official, expressed serious concerns that putting an inmate to death with nitrogen gas could possibly amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
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. The death penalty is inconsistent with the U.N.'s human rights standards
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. Despite these concerns, Alabama went through with the execution, citing justice for the murder-for-hire killing of 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett
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.Kay Ivey, the Governor of Alabama, issued a statement saying, "After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr. Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes"
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. Mike Sennett, the victim's son, said, "Nothing that happened here today is going to bring Mom back. It's kind of a bittersweet day. We are not going to be jumping around"

The use of nitrogen gas for execution is a controversial and widely-contested death penalty method
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. Only three states have approved nitrogen for executions
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. The US Supreme Court first declined to intervene in Smith's case on Wednesday after his attorneys appealed to halt the execution
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. A separate federal appeals court ruling on Wednesday evening also declined to halt the execution
 Smith's t
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.In conclusion, the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith by nitrogen gas in Alabama marks a first for the death penalty in the United States. The use of this new method has been widely contested and criticized by human rights experts, but Alabama went through with the execution, citing justice for the victim's family. The debate surrounding the use of nitrogen gas for execution is likely to continue, as it raises serious concerns about the treatment of inmates and the consistency with human rights standards.