The use of nitrogen gas in an Alabama execution marks the first time this method has been employed in the United States, placing the country at the forefront of the death penalty debate.

An Alabama woman was killed by a man who was paid $1,000 to do so more than 30 years ago. This man was put to death with pure nitrogen gas in a first-of-its-kind execution, which once again placed the United States at the center of the debate over capital punishment.

At an Alabama prison, Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. Thursday after shaking and convulsing at the start of a new execution method that caused oxygen deprivation through a face mask. This marked the first time this method was used in the U.S. since 1982, when lethal injection was introduced and later became the most common method.

The execution lasted approximately 22 minutes, from the moment the curtains opened to the end of the viewing room. Smith appeared to be conscious for several minutes, shaking and writhe on the gurney, sometimes pulling against the restraints. After two minutes of heavy breathing, his breathing became imperceptible.

Smith declared, "Tonight, Alabama moves humanity backward." In his final statement, he added, "I depart with love, peace, and light."

Smith thanked his family members for supporting him and made a "I love you sign" with his hands, while they were present.

The execution of Elizabeth Sennett's murder-for-hire killer was a just outcome, as stated by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.

After over three decades of trying to manipulate the system, Mr. Smith has finally been held accountable for his heinous acts," Ivey stated. "I hope that the Sennett family can find peace after enduring so much pain and suffering for all these years.

Mike Sennett, the victim's son, stated on Thursday night that Smith had been imprisoned for nearly twice as long as he had known his mother.

Today, nothing will bring Mom back, making it a bittersweet day. We won't be celebrating with joy and excitement, but instead, we'll be reflecting on the situation. However, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett received justice tonight.

The EU and the U.N. Human Rights Office expressed regret over the execution on Friday, stating that the death penalty violates the right to life and does not deter crime.

In 2022, Alabama tried to execute Smith, but the lethal injection was halted at the last minute because officials couldn't establish an IV line.

Smith's execution was carried out after a last-minute legal battle, where his attorneys argued that the state was using him as a test subject for an experimental execution method that could violate the constitutional prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Despite Smith's attempts to block it, federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, rejected his bid.

Alabama has chosen Smith as its 'guinea pig' to test a new method of execution, despite failing to kill him on its first attempt. The world is observing.

The majority justices did not issue any statements.

The nitrogen gas was intended to be an effective and humane method of execution, as the state had predicted it would cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes.

John Q. Hamm, Alabama corrections Commissioner, stated that Smith's involuntary movements on the gurney appeared to be convulsions.

Hamm stated that the occurrence was anticipated and within the range of side effects associated with nitrogen hypoxia, as it had been previously observed or researched. Nothing out of the ordinary was experienced, as it aligned with expectations.

Rev. Jeff Hood, Smith's spiritual adviser, stated that the execution did not align with the state attorney general's prediction in court filings that Smith would lose consciousness and die within minutes.

Hood, who witnessed the execution, stated that they did not observe anyone collapse unconscious in 30 seconds. Instead, what they saw was a prolonged struggle for survival.

The Supreme Court was asked by Smith's attorneys to halt the execution, as some doctors and organizations had raised concerns about the method's constitutionality and the need for more legal scrutiny before it was applied to a person.

The public has an interest in ensuring that the State has researched the novel form of execution adequately and established procedures to minimize the pain and suffering of the condemned person, as there is little research regarding death by nitrogen hypoxia, Smith’s attorneys wrote.

Sotomayor argued that Alabama's execution process is shrouded in secrecy, with only a heavily redacted version being released. She also believed Smith should have been allowed to obtain evidence about the protocol and pursue his legal challenge.

Sotomayor wrote that the information is crucial not only to Smith, who has a unique reason to fear the gurney, but to anyone the State intends to execute using this new method.

Sotomayor wrote, "Twice, this Court has disregarded Smith's warning that Alabama would put him at risk of unconstitutional pain. I sincerely hope he is not proven right again."

Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson wrote a dissent.

Smith met with his family and spiritual adviser in his final hours, according to a prison spokesperson.

Before his execution, Smith had a final meal consisting of T-bone steak, hash browns, toast, and eggs smothered in A1 steak sauce, as stated by Hood over the phone.

Hood stated that although he is fearful of the potential torture, he is also at peace because he is finally escaping.

Smith was to be strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber, the same one where he was strapped down for several hours during the lethal injection attempt, and a full facepiece supplied air respirator was to be placed over his face. After making a final statement, the warden, from another room, would activate the nitrogen gas, which would be administered through the mask for at least 15 minutes or "five minutes following a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer," according to the state protocol.

Afterward, Hamm, the corrections commissioner, confirmed that the gas was flowing for approximately 15 minutes.

The Sant’Egidio Community, a Vatican-affiliated Catholic charity located in Rome, urged Alabama to halt the execution, arguing that the method is "barbarous" and "uncivilized," and would cause "indelible shame" to the state. Additionally, experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council warned that the execution technique may violate the prohibition on torture.

Some states are considering nitrogen hypoxia as a new execution method because the drugs used in lethal injections are becoming harder to obtain. In particular, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma have authorized the use of nitrogen hypoxia, although no state has yet attempted to use this untested method.

The state made a last-minute procedural change to prevent Smith from choking on his own vomit due to the nitrogen gas flows, as his attorneys had raised concerns about the potential danger.

On March 18, 1988, Sennett was discovered dead in her home with eight stab wounds in her chest and one on each side of her neck. Among the two men convicted for the murder, Smith was one of them, while the other, John Forrest Parker, was executed in 2010.

According to court documents, Sennett's pastor husband, Charles Sennett Sr., killed himself when the investigation into him as a suspect began. Prosecutors claimed that they were each paid $1,000 to kill Sennett on behalf of her husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance.

Smith was convicted in 1989, but his conviction was overturned. He was convicted again in 1996, and the jury recommended a life sentence. However, a judge overrode the jury's decision and sentenced him to death. In Alabama, judges are no longer allowed to override a jury's death penalty decision.