In the US, another prisoner was executed using nitrogen gas – the second time this highly controversial method has been used. An eyewitness reported that Alan Miller had trouble breathing for about six minutes before he died.
Execution with nitrogen is described as torture by critics, such as the United Nations: in the first execution with this gas in the US in January this year, it took almost half an hour before prisoner Kenneth Smith was declared dead.
Reporter: “Didn’t go as promised”
In the current case in the American state of Alabama, the convicted criminal also appears to have been dealing with death for some time. A reporter who witnessed the execution explained Miller visibly struggled for about two minutes, shaking and straining at his bonds. He spent the next five to six minutes gasping for air repeatedly.”
Here, journalist Lauren Gill describes her observations during the execution:
The nitrogen was administered to the 59-year-old through a face mask. This leads to a lack of oxygen. The US was looking for new execution methods because many pharmaceutical companies refused to supply the drugs used in lethal injections.
Alan Miller was sentenced to death for the murder of three colleagues in 1999. The execution was scheduled to take place in September 2022: the attempt was ultimately called off at the last minute due to problems administering the lethal injection.
Another execution in Oklahoma by lethal injection
Another death sentence was carried out in the US state of Oklahoma on Thursday. 52-year-old Emmanuel Littlejohn was killed by lethal injection. He is said to have murdered a 31-year-old man in 1992 during a robbery of a small supermarket.
Littlejohn always denied responsibility for the 31-year-old’s death and blamed his accomplice for carrying out the robbery. A request for clemency from the 52-year-old was rejected by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
