Convicted murderer put to death in country’s second nitrogen gas execution

For only the second time in the country’s history, nitrogen gas has been used to execute an inmate. The state of Alabama put to death convicted murderer Alan Eugene Miller Thursday night. 

It marked the second time this year the state has employed this controversial method. In January, Kenneth Smith was put to death using nitrogen gas. 

Alabama is set to execute Alan Eugene Miller tonight.

After a botched attempt to execute Miller 2 years ago, Alabama plans to use nitrogen suffocation this time– even after Miller filed a lawsuit challenging the safety of this method and its potential to cause him undue harm. pic.twitter.com/p4Wby8ShlA

— ACLU of Alabama (@ACLUAlabama) September 26, 2024

Miller was sentenced to death in 2000 for a 1999 shooting that killed three men he had worked with, after he accused them of spreading rumors about him. Alabama had previously attempted to execute him by lethal injection in 2022, but called it off after being unable to connect an IV line.

The Alabama Department of Corrections said the procedure involved Miller being fitted with a mask and nitrogen gas flowing into his system for about 15 minutes. 

Miller had filed a lawsuit to halt the use of nitrogen gas but dropped it after settling with the state last month. According to the Associated Press, Miller’s final words were, “I didn’t do anything to be here.” 

“Tonight, justice was finally served for these three victims through the execution method elected by the inmate,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. “His acts were not that of insanity, but pure evil. Three families were forever changed by his heinous crimes, and I pray that they can find comfort all these years later.”

According to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, Miller is one of five inmates to be executed in the span of one week in the U.S. This is the first time that has happened since 2003.