RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Kenneth Smith was the first person to be executed by nitrogen gas in Alabama last week.
Kristin Collins is the Director of Public Information for the Center of Death Penalty Litigation. She describes Alabama’s decision as sickening.
“It couldn’t have made any clearer how cruel and inhumane and brutal the death penalty is than this whole spectacle we just saw in Alabama,” said Collins.
The electric chair, gas chamber and the lethal injection have all been used at Central Prison. But in 1998, lethal injection became the only execution method used in North Carolina.
Samuel Flippen was the last person to be executed in North Carolina for murdering his 2-year-old stepdaughter. That execution, nearly 18 years ago, in 2006.
Steven Greene, who’s a political science professor at North Carolina State University, said as far as this is where the state stands when it comes to the death penalty.
“Republicans have full legislative control for years, and they’re able to override, override Roy Cooper’s vetoes. So if this was something that was a priority to the Republicans to make sure that we were executing more people, that they would be able to find a way to do this legislatively,” said Greene.