Louisiana has witnessed its first execution by nitrogen, with convicted murderer-rapist Jessie Hoffman Jr being pronounced dead shortly after 7pm local time. In a last-ditch effort to stop the execution, his lawyers argued that the use of nitrogen “substantially burdens” his Buddhist beliefs by preventing him from breathing meditatively in his final moments.
They further 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, noting that four more inmates are slated for execution later this year using the same process.
Caroline Tillman, one of Hoffman’s lawyers, expressed in a statement: “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.
The state of Louisiana prohibits the use of nitrogen for euthanising most mammals, citing extreme distress in conscious animals before death. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends nitrogen euthanasia only for dogs and cats that are already unconscious due to sedation, a guideline that has been incorporated into Louisiana’s state law, explicitly banning gassing as an euthanasia method for cats and dogs.
Hoffman languished on Death Row for 27 years following his conviction for the first-degree murder of 28 year old Mary “Molly” Elliot in 1996, a crime that involved rape and killing, reports Daily Star.
Louisiana veterinarian Lee Capone has been actively campaigning to outlaw the use of gas chambers for euthanising mammals in the state. Speaking to the Guardian, he expressed his firm belief that gassing is an inhumane method of execution for animals, let alone humans, and described the prospect of Hoffman facing such an end as “horrific”.
Capone detailed the grim reality: “We are going backwards, it’s not humane. A large number of dogs were put into a concrete bunker and gassed.” He painted a distressing picture of the aftermath: “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.”