Ohio politicians may be poised to consider whether the state might break its unofficial moratorium on the death penalty by following Alabama in using nitrogen gas to execute inmates.
Ohio hasn’t executed anyone since 2018. In 2020, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine declared lethal injection “no longer an option,” citing a federal judge’s ruling that the protocol could cause inmates “severe pain and needless suffering.”
Republican state Attorney General Dave Yost scheduled a news conference Tuesday to discuss “next steps to kickstart” Ohio’s capital punishment system. He has expressed support for the nitrogen gas method used for the first time in Alabama last week, when convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was put to death with nitrogen gas administered through a face mask to deprive him of oxygen.
The execution took about 22 minutes from the time between the opening and closing of curtains to the viewing room. Smith seemed to remain conscious for several minutes. For at least two minutes, he appeared to shake and writhe on the gurney, sometimes pulling against the restraints
The execution could hardly be considered a success. The mask wasn’t sealed properly to his face and allowed oxygen to be inhaled as well. Nitrogen-execution requires a complete lack of other trace gasses to effectively asphyxiate without pain. This man suffered the equivalent of drowning for 22 minutes.
If I recall correctly, he was holding his breathe as long as he could. That would tend to make you behave this way.
Why do people keep speculating on the reason it took a reported 22 minutes? It’s more likely that asphyxiation regardless of the method implemented is a poor way to execute people. I’m aware of the science behind using this gas but it’s never been used in this specific way. Now we are trying to say the mask wasn’t sealed around his face? What about the small traces of oxygen already in his lungs? What happens when his body switches over to anaerobic metabolic functions to try to keep the body alive. Probably the seizure like convulsions they saw. Acting as if this is a sound way to kill people but it “just needs to be done properly” is laughable at best. First, states that love executions don’t really care about getting it right. All the other forms of execution were said to be painless and quick when done “right”. Second, the humane execution came about for the executioner not for the condemned. The person turning on the gas wants to go home and think they just made the person slip into death peacefully. But the reality is killing is killing. Humanity only knows of one fullprof way for a painless death. Severing the brain instantly.
This guy stabbed an innocent women to death for some cash.
I hope each of those 22 minutes was pure torture.
His wife and lawyers watched him be tortured for 22 min (likely was longer as the time of death was called 15 min after the curtain was pulled.) are you saying they deserved to see that as well? And before you say, “they chose to be there.” it’s important that they were to ensure the condemned persons constitutional rights were honored. And spoiler alert, they weren’t.
it’s important that they were to ensure the condemned persons constitutional rights were honored. And spoiler alert, they weren’t.
The condemned person in this case should not have constitutional rights. They should not have any rights. They gave up these rights when they decided that ending a woman’s life by brutally stabbing her to death was an acceptable action to take in order to make some money.
If only their was supreme court judgments that Already decided this. Stop acting as if you know what you are talking about
JUST FUCKING SHOOT THEM!
You can argue about whether the death penalty should exist all you want until you’re blue in the face but the fact is it exists.
Shoot them in the fucking head and be done with it.
No torture. No chemicals. No mistakes. Just alive one second and dead the next.
And before anyone comes at me with “pEoPlE sUrViVe GuNsHoTs!!11!1!” Not without medical attention. You shoot someone in the brain stem with a .45acp they’re fuckin dead. They’re just fuckin dead.
The most expensive part is the cleanup which is nothing compared to the costs of setting up these fucking torture chambers.
It’s called a firing squad execution. Those are the words you’re looking for.
And it’s an option for some
Alabama: Tortures a man. Pro Life Republicans: Let’s do more of this!
