In a significant and controversial event, a death row inmate in Louisiana was executed using nitrogen inhalation, a method previously employed solely in neighboring Alabama. This technique has drawn criticism from UN experts, who have likened it to a form of torture.
Forty-six-year-old Jessie Hoffman was convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliot in 1996. His execution marks the first in Louisiana in a staggering 15 years.
The announcement of Hoffman’s execution came through statements made by two of his lawyers to the local media, though it was not immediately verified by state authorities. Cecelia Kappel, one of Hoffman’s attorneys, expressed her concerns, stating, “The state was able to execute him by pushing out a new protocol and setting execution dates to prevent careful judicial review and shrouding the process in secrecy.”
This execution is part of a broader trend in the United States, where six other individuals have been executed this year—most by lethal injection. Notably, Alabama’s Kenneth Smith was executed on January 25, 2024, making headlines as the world’s first execution carried out by nitrogen inhalation.
The death penalty landscape in the US is diverse; 23 of the 50 states have abolished it altogether, while six others—including Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee—are currently observing a moratorium on executions.
As discussions surrounding the death penalty continue, it’s clear that issues of method, morality, and legality remain at the forefront of this complex and evolving dialogue.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
