"Controversy Surrounds Alabama's First Nitrogen Gas Execution"

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall defends the state's first nitrogen gas execution, claiming it was "textbook," despite witnesses reporting that the inmate thrashed on the gurney and took longer than expected to become unconscious. The execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, who had been on death row for over three decades, lasted roughly 30 minutes. Critics, including media witnesses and human rights experts, have raised concerns about the use of nitrogen hypoxia, while the state plans to continue using this method and assist other states interested in adopting it as an alternative to lethal injection.