Alabama's Controversial Bid to Execute Inmate with Pure Nitrogen Sparks National Debate

Alabama is seeking to execute death row inmate Kenneth Smith by having him breathe pure nitrogen, a method known as nitrogen hypoxia. This execution method, authorized in three states but never used, involves depriving inmates of oxygen by forcing them to breathe only nitrogen. Critics have raised concerns about the untested method, likening it to human experimentation. Smith, convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher's wife, had his previous execution by lethal injection called off due to issues with intravenous lines. The use of nitrogen hypoxia is expected to spark legal battles over its constitutionality.