Gerrard Kaonga
A death row inmate finally took his last breath earlier this year after already surviving one visit to the death chamber and escaping two executions.
Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed on January 25, 2024 by a new controversial execution method used in Alabama.
Smith was initially sentenced to death back in 1989 after being convicted of capital murder for the death of Elizabeth Sennett.
He was one of two men convicted for the crime after he was hired as a hitman by Elizabeth's husband, pastor Charles Sennett, to kill her so Charles could claim a large insurance policy pay out.
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Unlike many other prisoners on death row, Smith had three brushes with death and survived.
While on death row, Smith had two successful appeals against his execution, resulting in two different dates being cancelled. However, he would eventually be sentenced to death again.
His closest brush with death saw him get taken from his cell and into the death chamber in November, 2022 to die by lethal injection.
However, after Smith was strapped to the gurney, executioners failed to find a vein and were forced to abandon the attempt when the state's death warrant expired at midnight.
Speaking on this incident, Smith claimed it gave him PTSD and he would regularly have nightmares and panic attacks about the experience.
Following this, it was decided that Smith would be the first to die by an 'inhumane' new execution method in Alabama.
The controversial method sees an inmate die by the use of nitrogen hypoxia.
Alabama alongside Oklahoma and Mississippi are the only states to authorize the use of nitrogen hypoxia to execute prisoners, but Alabama was the first to use it to execute someone.
The use of nitrogen gas would deprive the inmate of oxygen, causing them to fall unconscious and pass away. However, critics argued its use was inhumane and that Smith was being used as a guinea pig.
Discussing the use of this method in a December court hearing, the state attorney's general office said it would 'cause unconsciousness within seconds, and cause death within minutes'.
The actual execution of Smith in January of this year was described by a reporter who was present and spoke of the unconventional death.
Smith's final words were simply: "Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards," before he acknowledged his loved ones by saying: "I'm leaving with love, peace, and light. Thank you for supporting me. Love all of you."
A mask was then placed over Smith's face, where pure nitrogen gas was administered, causing oxygen deprivation. However, rather than passing out, Smith began to ‘writhe and convulse’ on the gurney. It's also said he ‘took deep breaths’ and that he ‘clenched his fists’ while his ‘legs shook’.
“He seemed to be gasping for air,” he claimed. “The gurney shook several times.”
He was pronounced dead at 8:25pm CST - 22 minutes after the nitrogen gas was first administered.