Additional Coverage:
- Louisiana kills Jessie Hoffman in state’s first nitrogen gas execution (the-independent.com)
Angola, Louisiana – In a controversial move, Louisiana carried out its first execution in 15 years, using nitrogen gas to put to death Jessie Hoffman, 46, on Tuesday evening. Hoffman was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of 28-year-old Mary “Molly” Elliott. The execution, which took place at Louisiana State Penitentiary, was the first use of nitrogen gas in the state and only the second in the nation.
Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott described the execution as “flawless,” stating it “went about as good as we can expect.” Hoffman spent his final day with family, attorneys, and a spiritual advisor, declining a last meal.
He was escorted to the execution chamber and declined to make a final statement before the nitrogen gas mask was applied. The procedure lasted 19 minutes.
Hoffman’s execution was delayed by a temporary restraining order issued by 19th Judicial District Court Judge Richard Moore, pending a hearing on the constitutionality of the nitrogen hypoxia method. The order was overturned by a Baton Rouge judge, and a final appeal to the U.S.
Supreme Court was denied in a 5-4 decision. Justices Gorsuch, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented.
Hoffman’s legal team argued that nitrogen hypoxia violated his religious freedom under state law, claiming it interfered with his Buddhist practice of meditative breathing at the time of death. The state argued it had no other viable execution methods due to the unavailability of lethal injection drugs and a non-functioning electric chair. Louisiana law allows executions by nitrogen gas, lethal injection, and electrocution.
The victim’s sister-in-law, Kate Murphy, pleaded for clemency, arguing that Hoffman’s execution did not represent justice. However, Attorney General Liz Murrill stated she had been in contact with Elliott’s immediate family, who were in favor of the execution proceeding, seeking closure after nearly three decades. In a clemency petition, Hoffman expressed remorse for his crime.
The use of nitrogen gas in executions has drawn criticism from anti-death penalty groups and the United Nations, which has raised concerns about potential human rights violations. Witness accounts of Hoffman’s execution described brief shaking and movements, similar to those observed in Alabama’s first nitrogen gas execution last year. Louisiana has not released its nitrogen gas execution protocols to the public.
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- Louisiana kills Jessie Hoffman in state’s first nitrogen gas execution (the-independent.com)