cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/14097254
Smith’s execution by “nitrogen hypoxia” took around 22 minutes, according to media witnesses, who were led into a viewing room at the William C Holman correctional facility in Atmore shortly before 8 pm local time.
After the nitrogen gas began flowing, Smith convulsed on the gurney for several minutes. The state had previously said the nitrogen gas would cause Smith to lose consciousness in seconds and die within minutes, according to the Associated Press.
“I’ve been to four previous executions and I’ve never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas,” Lee Hedgepeth, a journalist who witnessed the execution, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.
Based on the manufacturer and the descriptions of the mask used, I believe this is the design: https://www.allegrosafety.com/product/half-mask-supplied-air-respirator/
The fact that it took him over 20 minutes to die indicates something was done incorrectly. He held his breath, which certainly contributed to his discomfort, but that can’t account for 20 minutes. He had to have been rebreathing his own exhaled oxygen and/or the seal allowed for fresh oxygen to enter the mask.
I’m not aware of the exactly design being publicly available so people are speculating based on what is known - primary that it was botched and he was in agony for 20 minutes, and working backward from there to figure out what they must’ve done wrong to create that outcome. But I’m still looking.
I amended my top-level comment to ask for more information and indicate some uncertainty, because I’ve been hearing conflicting things about the basic facts of the execution. Most news sources are saying he was dead by 15 minutes in. And you seem to have modified “convulsing” and generally struggling against his straps for some number of minutes, which at least a few minutes’ worth everyone’s in agreement about, into “in agony for 20 minutes,” which I have no idea how you would know that. Wouldn’t it be possible that he’s struggling because he’s going to die, not because he’s in pain?
Can you send me a source or two on your complete picture of how it happened including the 22 minutes?
I sent you a source for 22 minutes. I also appear to have been mis-quoting “agonal breathing” when I said “in agony.” It was either an honest error or I read it that way in another article (which also might or might not have been misquoting agonal breathing).
I’ll quote this section of that article:
"Smith, who was on a gurney, appeared conscious for “several minutes into the execution,” and “shook and writhed” for about two minutes after that, media witnesses said in a joint report.
That was followed by several minutes of deep breathing before his breath began slowing “until it was no longer perceptible for media witnesses,” the media witnesses said."
Two minutes of shaking and writing is quite a bit different than what other articles were saying. It’s two minutes longer than I’d’ve expected for a painless death, but I’m not an expert.
Yeah, that all lines up with what I thought. I’m sure it’s horrible knowing you’re going to die as it’s actually happening. But a few minutes of consciousness followed by convulsions and death, that sounds like what I’d expect from suffocating on nitrogen and I see no reason to think from that that in itself means it’s painful.
The 22 minutes seems like it came from his “religious advisor” and doesn’t line up with what other people said. Also, there’s this:
I’m certainly not out to demonize it or present a false narrative, but it can be easy to get a bunch of things jumbled together when you’re trying to put it all together. I appreciate you pushing for facts and getting me to re-read a bit closer.
I mean, I get it. I don’t think we should be killing people either. I think that’s the inherent horror that’s making people look for reasons why this is wrong. But I think they’re unintentionally opposing a method that’s less painful, with the possible result of continuing the torture that we currently put people through when they’re condemned to die.