.ON JANUARY 25TH Kenneth Eugene Smith ended up being the first individual anywhere to be executed through nitrogen hypoxia. He was actually founded guilty in 1989 of killing Elizabeth Sennett, the partner of a minister from Alabama, on her husband's orders. The state had very first made an effort to execute him, through dangerous injection, in Nov 2022, yet messed up the operation. After that, Mr Smith selected to become put to death by unique means. His execution has caused outrage: Alabama declares nitrogen hypoxia is a fast, pain-free death but several health care professionals differ. Some have compared it to torture. Why did Alabama authorize this unproved method?