A state attorney informed a federal judge on Monday that Alabama is preparing to carry out its death sentences using a novel, unproven execution technique called nitrogen hypoxia.
Although the state approved the method in 2018, it has not yet been put to use or evaluated.
A U.S. district court was informed by a deputy state attorney general that it is ‘highly likely’ that a prisoner Alan Eugene Miller will be executed using this manner. Three men were killed in a 1999 workplace shooting, and Alan Eugene Miller was found guilty of the crimes.
Miller is fighting to stop his execution at Holman Prison, which is planned on September 22. During a court session, it was revealed that the new way of carrying out death sentences might be used.
Alan Eugene Miller claimed that prison staff lost his paperwork several years ago. In it, he requested nitrogen as his execution method rather than lethal injection.
He added that nitrogen gas appeared preferable to lethal injection and that he ‘disliked’ needles due to uncomfortable attempts to obtain blood.
Nitrogen hypoxia, which substitutes nitrogen for oxygen, is intended to result in death. With this proposed method of execution, the prisoner would be forced to breathe only nitrogen, depriving his or her body of oxygen and leading to asphyxiation, which would result in death.
However, the choice to employ or not use this new technique ultimately rests with Corrections Commissioner John Hamm, according to James Houts, a deputy state attorney general.
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