The first ever execution by nitrogen in the US state of Louisiana has been carried out. Murderer-rapist Jessie Hoffman Jr was put to death at shortly after 7pm local time
Louisiana has witnessed its first execution by nitrogen, with Jessie Hoffman Jr, convicted of murder and rape, being put to death just after 7pm local time.
Hoffman’s legal team made a last-ditch effort to stop the execution, arguing that the use of nitrogen “substantially burdens” his Buddhist beliefs by preventing him from breathing meditatively in his final moments.
They also claimed it breached the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, which bans cruel and unusual punishment. However, Louisiana officials maintain that the method is painless, and four more inmates are slated for execution later this year using the same technique.
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Caroline Tillman, one of Hoffman’s lawyers, commented: “Tonight, the State of Louisiana took the life of Jessie Hoffman, a man who was deeply loved, who brought light to those around him, and who spent nearly three decades proving that people can change”, as reported by Nola.
Another attorney, Cecelia Kappel, said in a statement Tuesday night that Hoffman “showed extraordinary capacity for redemption.”
Kappel said: “Jessie no longer bore any resemblance to the 18-year old who killed Molly Elliot. The State was able to execute him by pushing out a new protocol and setting execution dates to prevent careful judicial review and shrouding the process in secrecy.” She said prison staff were “forced to kill someone they have grown to care for and protect.”
In Louisiana, using nitrogen for euthanasia is prohibited for most mammals because conscious animals suffer extreme distress before death, reports the Daily Star.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has determined that nitrogen should only be used for euthanising dogs and cats that are already unconscious due to sedation. These recommendations have been incorporated into Louisiana state legislation, explicitly banning the use of gas as a euthanasia method for cats and dogs.
Louisiana vet Lee Capone, who championed a ban on animal gassing in the state, spoke to the Guardian about his firm belief that the method is inhumane for both cats and dogs, “much less people”. He described the prospect of Hoffman facing such an end as “horrific”.
Regarding the suffering endured by animals subjected to gassing, he stated: “We are going backwards, it’s not humane. A large number of dogs were put into a concrete bunker and gassed.”
He observed the animals’ post-gassing condition, noting their “It was clear from their bodies, which had eyes wide open and dilated, saliva round the mouth, signs of vomiting and diarrhea, that they had been frightened and scared, and had suffered.