Kenneth Smith, 58, is scheduled to be executed in Alabama on Thursday using nitrogen gas, a method never before employed in US capital punishment. The procedure has been rejected on ethical grounds by veterinarians for most animal euthanasia except pigs.
Smith survived a previous execution attempt in November 2022, when prison officials spent four hours trying to find a vein for lethal injection. He was suspended upside down and left with multiple puncture wounds before the execution was called off. He is one of only two Americans known to have survived an execution.
Since the failed attempt, Smith has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers from insomnia, anxiety, depression, and migraines. He told the Guardian he experiences frequent nightmares, including a recurring dream of being escorted back into the death chamber. His physical health has deteriorated, with nausea and retching attributed to stress.
Smith described his ordeal as 'ongoing stress disorder', saying he has not been given a chance to heal. He compared his situation to an abuse victim being forced back into a hostile environment, adding that 'when the government does it, that's something else'.
Smith was convicted for the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett, a pastor's wife. Her husband, Charles Sennett, killed himself after becoming a suspect. Smith's execution is set for 25 January.
