Alabama executed Alan Eugene Miller, the second man in the nation to be put to death by nitrogen gas for a 1999 triple homicide, after a failed lethal injection attempt in 2022. Miller gasped, shook, and struggled against his restraints for several minutes before being pronounced dead. Miller had been convicted of killing three people during workplace shootings in Birmingham, Alabama and had been on death row since 2000. His lethal injection attempt in 2022 was aborted after staff could not access his veins.
The use of nitrogen gas for executions has drawn controversy and criticism due to its untested history and potential physical effects. Despite concerns from the Biden administration and the Vatican, Alabama defended the method as painless and efficient. The state has offered to help other states adopt nitrogen-asphyxiation executions as an alternative to lethal injection.
Miller’s heinous crimes were described as acts of evil, not insanity, by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. He was said to have been delusional and believed his victims were spreading rumors about him. Alabama plans to conduct at least two more executions this year, with one scheduled for lethal injection and another for nitrogen hypoxia. The use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution continues to be a controversial topic, sparking debate and condemnation from advocacy groups against capital punishment.
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