Alabama is seeking to execute a second inmate using nitrogen gas, just a month after the controversial new method was used for the first time. The state’s Attorney General has requested an execution date for Alan Eugene Miller, who was convicted of killing three people in 1999. The state is prepared to carry out Miller’s sentence using nitrogen hypoxia, marking another step in the shift towards this new execution method. This request comes following mixed reactions to the first execution using nitrogen, as the state seeks to maintain momentum for carrying out more death sentences in this manner.
The move to set an execution date for Miller comes amidst continued debate and controversy over the use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution. The first execution using nitrogen led to a lawsuit by another death row inmate, claiming the process was a botched “human experiment.” Alabama’s Attorney General maintains that the execution was successful and “textbook,” offering the state’s expertise to other states considering the use of nitrogen gas. This development is significant, especially because both Smith and Miller had previously survived lethal injection attempts.
Miller, who was convicted of the workplace shootings of three men, has been on death row since 2000. Despite objections and ongoing debate about the use of nitrogen gas for executions, Alabama remains committed to carrying out death sentences in this manner, further sparking controversy and debate over capital punishment in the state.