Montgomery, Alabama – The state of Alabama is seeking to execute a second inmate using nitrogen gas, just weeks after the first execution using this method took place. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office has requested the state’s Supreme Court to set an execution date for Alan Eugene Miller, who was convicted of a 1999 workplace shooting that resulted in three deaths. The state has proposed carrying out Miller’s execution using nitrogen gas, highlighting the growing debate and controversy surrounding this method.
Miller has been on death row since 2000, and the state is now pushing to carry out his sentence by means of nitrogen hypoxia. This move is significant given the recent execution of Kenneth Smith, during which he experienced convulsions and shaking, reigniting discussions about the use of nitrogen gas for executions. The attorney listed for Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed execution date.
The request for an execution date comes amid ongoing debate between state officials and advocates regarding the use of nitrogen gas in executions. Following Smith’s controversial execution, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall asserted that the method had been “proven” and offered assistance to other states considering this approach. However, a lawsuit filed by another death row inmate has labeled Smith’s execution as a “botched human experiment,” sparking legal and ethical concerns about the use of nitrogen gas for lethal injections.
Miller’s previous experience with a failed lethal injection attempt in 2022 has further fueled the controversy. The ordeal involved staff struggling to find a vein and Miller being left hanging vertically on a gurney for an extended period. This situation has raised questions about the proper administration of lethal injections and the potential psychological and physical toll on the condemned individuals.
The proposed execution of Miller by nitrogen gas raises challenging ethical and legal questions, with critics condemning the method as inhumane and equating it to “execution by suffocation.” The ongoing discourse surrounding the use of nitrogen gas for executions underscores the deeply polarizing nature of capital punishment in the United States and the various moral, legal, and practical implications associated with the implementation of lethal injection protocols.
The case of Alan Eugene Miller and the debate surrounding his proposed execution with nitrogen gas shed light on the complexities and controversies inherent in the administration of the death penalty in Alabama. As the legal proceedings unfold, the ethical considerations, public discourse, and legal precedents regarding executions by nitrogen gas will continue to shape the landscape of capital punishment in the state and across the country.