• Telorand@reddthat.com
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    1 year ago

    The state’s notoriously incompetent executioners, who tried and failed to kill Smith via lethal injection in 2022, strapped the condemned man to a gurney and administered the nitrogen gas through a full-face mask. Smith was pronounced dead shortly before 8:30 pm after around four minutes of convulsions.

    Wow. Sounds very humane. /s

    “Tonight, Alabama caused humanity to take a step backwards,” Smith said in his final statement. “I’m leaving with love, peace, and light. Thank you for supporting me, love all of you.”

    RIP, dude. Sorry we as a society couldn’t help you. May the people who glibly signed your death warrant get what they deserve.

      • jarfil@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        They either botched the mask, or used a bottle of welding quality nitrogen laced with CO2.

        • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          The latter seems the most likely. The death penalty is full of negligence on this scale.

          I promise you if people realized just how crooked the whole thing was, nobody would support it.

      • Case@lemmynsfw.com
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        1 year ago

        I was gonna say, on paper inert gas asphyxiation shouldn’t be painful.

        In execution, well… shit. Pun not originally intended, but I’m leaving it.

        • NattyNatty2x4@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          Pretty sure they’ve shown nitrogen asphyxiation on pigs hasn’t caused any discernible stress or uncomfort. This execution not only taking this long but also being that stressful, and the facility’s track record of fucking up executing this guy, makes me think some bullshit by Alabama happened to make this a painful death. Needs to be promptly and thoroughly investigated imo

          Edit yea here’s a link: mild content warning I guess, but it just shows a pig very briefly passing out and then coming to again: https://youtu.be/fPhH4nha4QA

      • Teotwawki@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        I was a researcher for around twenty years and almost passed out leaning over an LN2 tank like an idiot looking for my samples once. No pain, just felt some tingling and rapidly fading consciousness. There was still a good amount of oxygen in the room since the alarms never went off. Just glad I started to fall backwards instead of into the tank.

        I’ve also experienced nitrogen narcosis while deep diving, and that actually felt good.