US to Execute Another Inmate Using Nitrogen Gas as Method of Execution

Photo : AP

In a significant turn of events in the U.S. judicial system, Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, was executed by lethal injection on Thursday in Oklahoma, bringing the total number of executions in the country this year to 18. This includes five executions that occurred within the past week alone. Littlejohn was convicted for the murder of Kenneth Meers, who was shot during a convenience store robbery in 1992. Although he admitted to being present during the incident, he maintained that he was not the one who fired the fatal shot. The crime involved another man, Glenn Bethany, who was also convicted but received a life sentence.

Prior to his execution, Littlejohn had appealed for clemency from Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, expressing his desperation in a plea, “Governor, don’t kill me for the heck of it.” Despite recommendations for commutation from the State Board of Pardons, Stitt ultimately denied the request, stating that justice had been served for Meers’s murder.

As this took place in Oklahoma, Alabama is preparing for its own controversial execution using nitrogen gas, a method that has faced significant scrutiny and criticism. Alan Miller, 59, is set to be executed for a 1999 workplace shooting spree that claimed the lives of three colleagues: Lee Holdbrooks, Scott Yancy, and Terry Lee Jarvis. Miller's execution is scheduled at Atmore penitentiary, where nitrogen gas will be pumped into a facemask, leading to suffocation. This method was used for the first time in January, prompting concerns after Kenneth Smith, the first individual executed by this means, reportedly convulsed for several minutes, raising alarms about potential inhumane treatment.

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The White House has expressed its deep concern regarding Alabama's nitrogen gas execution method, highlighting the ethical implications and likening it to a form of torture. This sentiment has been echoed by various civil liberties organizations, the European Union, and the UN human rights office, all voicing their disapproval of Alabama's approach to capital punishment. Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, has stated that she will not grant clemency for Miller, further intensifying the controversy surrounding his impending execution.

The use of nitrogen gas has not only sparked discussions about the methods of execution but also reflects broader debates about the death penalty in the United States. Currently, 23 states have abolished capital punishment, while six others, including Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, have placed moratoriums on executions as decided by their governors. The ongoing discussions about execution methods and the moral implications of capital punishment continue to be a polarizing issue across the nation.