ATMORE, Ala. — Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 58-year-old convicted killer whose 2022 lethal injection was called off at the last minute because authorities couldn’t connect an IV line, is scheduled to be executed [tonight] at a south Alabama prison. Smith was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in a 1988 murder for hire.
Smith was recruited as a contract killer in the murder of Elizabeth Sennett. Her husband, Charles Sennett, organized the murder and was said to be dealing with debt and having an affair.
Elizabeth Sennett was stabbed and beaten to death in her home. Charles Sennett committed suicide as the investigation closed in on him.
Unless blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, Alabama will attempt to put him to death with nitrogen gas Thursday night, a never used execution method that the state claims will be humane, but critics call cruel and experimental. Alabama plans to put a respirator mask over Smith’s face and replace the air he is breathing with pure nitrogen gas, causing him to die from lack of oxygen.
The execution will be the first attempt to use a new execution method since the 1982 introduction of lethal injection, now the most common execution method in the United States.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday concurred with another decision by a federal judge in Alabama that the state could carry out the execution. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday also declined to stop the execution.
“Two courts have now rejected Smith’s claims. I remain confident that the Supreme Court will come down on the side of justice, and that Smith’s execution will be carried out tomorrow,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said on social media on Wednesday.
The moment will no doubt be closely watched by many as other states consider the practice.
What Is a Nitrogen Gas Execution?
The execution involves a mask that will be strapped to Smith’s face and deliver nitrogen gas. The method, known as nitrogen hypoxia, is intended to deprive Smith of oxygen.
The gas will be administered for at least 15 minutes or “five minutes following a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer,” according to the state protocol.