.ON JANUARY 25TH Kenneth Eugene Johnson ended up being the initial individual anywhere to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia. He was founded guilty in 1989 of murdering Elizabeth Sennett, the better half of a minister from Alabama, on her husband's orders. The state possessed very first tried to execute him, by fatal shot, in November 2022, but bungled the method. Afterwards, Mr Smith chose to be killed by unfamiliar means. His punishment has created indignation: Alabama professes nitrogen hypoxia is an easy, painless death however lots of clinical experts disagree. Some have likened it to torment. Why performed Alabama authorize this untried approach?