Kenneth Smith's Final Words Before Alabama Execution

Alabama has executed convicted murderer Kenneth Smith via nitrogen gas, the first time such a method has been used, with the killer condemning it in his final words.

Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. in Atmore on Thursday after he reportedly appeared to shake and writhe as the gas entered his body.

Human rights groups have been outspoken about the new execution method, which officials have said should be "the most painless and humane method of execution known to man." They said loss of consciousness should occur shortly after the gas is administered—something witnesses have contradicted. Newsweek has contacted Alabama Department of Corrections via the contact form on its website for comment.

Smith's final words were: "Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards. I'm leaving with love, peace and light," according to the Associated Press.

After having a gas mask put on, Smith smiled, nodded and signed "I love you" at his family, according to the BBC. His final meal was a T-bone steak, hash browns, toast and eggs in steak sauce.

It is the second time the state had attempted to execute Smith, who was convicted of murdering Elizabeth Sennett in a murder-for-hire plot in 1988. Officials in Alabama attempted to administer a lethal injection in 2022 but the execution was called off at the last minute as an IV line could not be connected.

The execution method has been widely criticized despite officials in Alabama saying it is humane. Justin Mazzola, an Amnesty International USA researcher, said prior to Smith's execution that the "untested method could be extremely painful, result in a botched execution, and could amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, thereby violating international human rights treaties that the U.S. has ratified."

Protesters against the experimental method had gathered at the state capitol building in Montgomery in the days leading up to the execution.

Reverend Jeff Hood, who witnessed the execution, said that what happened to Smith on Thursday was not consistent with the state's predictions of how it would proceed.

"We didn't see somebody go unconscious in 30 seconds. What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life," he said. "Heaving back and forth, we saw spit, we saw all sorts of stuff develop from the mask. The mask was tied to the gurney, ripping his head back and forth over and over again."

Governor of Alabama Kay Ivey said Smith requested to be executed by nitrogen oxide as an alternative to the lethal injection.

"On March 18, 1988, 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett's life was brutally taken from her by Kenneth Eugene Smith," she said in a statement. "After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes.

"The execution was lawfully carried out by nitrogen hypoxia, the method previously requested by Mr Smith as an alternative to lethal injection. At long last, Mr Smith got what he asked for, and this case can finally be put to rest. I pray that Elizabeth Sennett's family can receive closure after all these years dealing with that great loss."

Sennett was killed in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by her husband who wanted to claim life insurance to help clear his debts. Smith was one of two men involved in the murder, with his accomplice John Forrest Parker being executed in 2010.

Her son, Mike Sennett, told reporters after the execution: "Nothing happened here today is going to bring Mom back. It's kind of a bittersweet day. We are not going to be jumping around, whooping and holler hooray and all that… I'll end by saying Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett got her justice tonight."

"Nothing can undo the tragic consequences of the actions for which he was convicted, including the pain of the Sennett family and friends," Smith's attorney's said. "Kenny's life, however, should be considered in its full context."

The Supreme Court had denied Smith a last-minute reprieve on Thursday evening.