MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama will attempt to put an inmate to death with nitrogen gas on Thursday night, a never before used execution method that the state claims will be humane but critics call cruel and experimental.
Alabama
Alabama set to execute inmate with nitrogen gas, a never before used method
Alabama plans to put an industrial-type respirator mask over Smith’s face and replace his breathing air with pure nitrogen gas, causing him to die from lack of oxygen. The execution will be the first attempt to use a new execution method since the 1982 introduction of lethal injection, now the most common execution method in the United States.
Attorneys for Smith have waged a legal battle to halt the execution, arguing that the state is seeking to make Smith the “test case” for the new execution method that merits more legal scrutiny before it is used on an inmate.
“It’s an experiment,” said the Rev. Jeff Hood, Smith’s spiritual advisor and a death penalty opponent.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Smith’s argument that it would be unconstitutional to make another attempt to execute him after the failed lethal injection. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday night also declined to halt the the execution, saying Smith had not sufficiently supported claims the new execution method would violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. His attorneys are expected to appeal that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Smith is one of two men convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett. Prosecutors said he and the other man were each paid $1,000 to kill Sennett on behalf of her pastor husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance.
Alabama plans to strap Smith to a gurney in the execution chamber — the same chamber where he was strapped down for several hours during the lethal injection attempt — and place a “full facepiece supplied air respirator” over his face. After he is given a chance to make a final statement, the warden, from another room, will activate the nitrogen gas. The nitrogen will be administered through the mask for at least 15 minutes or “five minutes following a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer,” according to the state protocol.
Some states are looking for new ways to execute inmates because the drugs used in lethal injections, the most common execution method in the United States, are increasingly difficult to find. Three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma — have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, but no state has attempted to use the untested method until now.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Wednesday night that he believes the courts will allow the execution to proceed.
“My office stands ready to carry on the fight for Liz Sennett. Two courts have now rejected Smith’s claims. I remain confident that the Supreme Court will come down on the side of justice, and that Smith’s execution will be carried out,” Marshall said.
The victim’s son, Charles Sennett Jr., said in an interview with WAAY-TV that Smith “has to pay for what he’s done.”
“And some of these people out there say, ‘Well, he doesn’t need to suffer like that.’ Well, he didn’t ask Mama how to suffer?” the son said. “They just did it. They stabbed her — multiple times.”
The state has predicted the nitrogen gas will cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes. A state attorney told the 11th Circuit that it will be “the most painless and humane method of execution known to man,”
But some doctors and organizations have raised alarm about the state’s plan.
“It’s indefensible for Alabama officials to simply dismiss the very real risks this untested method presents and experiment on a man who has already survived one execution attempt,” said Robin M. Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
Much of what is known about death by nitrogen gas comes from industrial accidents or suicide attempts. Dr. Philip Nitschke, a euthanasia expert who designed a suicide pod using nitrogen gas and appeared as an expert witness for Smith, said nitrogen can provide a peaceful, hypoxic death, but said he has concerns about Alabama’s proposal to use a mask.
Nitschke told The Associated Press that Smith’s facial hair, jaw movements and involuntary movements as he feels the effect of the nitrogen could impact the seal. If there are leaks, Smith could continue to draw in enough oxygen, “to prolong into what could be a very rather macabre, slow process of slowly not getting enough oxygen,” Nitschke said. He said he could envision scenarios where the execution goes quickly or seriously awry.
Marshall’s office noted in court filings that Smith previously suggested nitrogen as an alternative method when fighting attempts to execute him by lethal injection. Courts require inmates challenging execution methods to suggest another available alternative. Alabama at the time had not developed a nitrogen protocol. Robert Grass, an attorney for Smith, told federal courts that they are challenging the specific way the state plans to administer the nitrogen. They argued the use of a gas mask puts Smith at risk for a prolonged and painful death or choking to death on his own vomit.
The American Veterinary Medical Association in 2020 euthanasia guidelines wrote nitrogen hypoxia is not an acceptable euthanasia method for most mammals because the anoxic environment “is distressing.” Experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council cautioned they believe the execution method could violate the prohibition on torture.
Sennett, 45, was found dead March 18, 1988, in her home in Colbert County with eight stab wounds in the chest and one on each side of her neck, according to the coroner. Her husband, Charles Sennett Sr., killed himself when the investigation focused on him as a suspect, according to court documents. John Forrest Parker, the other man convicted in the slaying, was executed in 2010.
Smith’s 1989 conviction was overturned. He was convicted again in 1996. The jury recommended a life sentence by 11-1, but a judge overrode the recommendation and sentenced Smith to death. Alabama no longer allows a judge to override a jury’s death penalty decision.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— A little rain couldn’t dampen Alabama’s party.
Patrick Murphy and the Crimson Tide held a Sweet 16 party inside Rhoads Stadium on Saturday. For the 16th time in Murphy’s 28 seasons as head coach, the Crimson Tide is heading to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.
Top-ranked Alabama continued its perfect path through the NCAA Tournament, outlasting No. 16 LSU 4-1 after two lengthy rain delays to complete the sweep through the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
A Sweet 16 celebration is suiting for a Tide team coming of age at the most crucial time of the year. In its five tournament games, the Alabama has backed up its No. 1 billing, maintaining an unblemished record while out scoring its opponents by a combined 31-1.
“This team has just been unbelievably selfless,” Murphy said after the win. “They’ve been full of gratitude. They’ve been competitive. They’ve been hard working, gritty. I mean, all the words you love as a coach–– this has been this team. You don’t want to jinx it or whatever because anybody can beat anybody, you guys all know that, and so I’m thrilled as can be that this group gets to go to the Women’s College World Series.
Alabama was able to recalibrate and shut down LSU after two separate rain delays that totaled around four hours. The Tide spent time during the delay eating softball, watching other softball super regionals around the country and playing intense card games.
But when it came time to head back to the field, it was all business.
For the second game in a row, Alexis Pupillo provided the spark plug for the Crimson Tide offense before the first delay. LSU starter Jayden Heavener held Alabama hitless through the first three innings (despite allowing a run on a walk and three wild pitches in the third), but Pupillo broke up the no-hitter with a solo home run to right field to reclaim the lead for Alabama at 2-1 to open the fourth inning.
The Tide put together a two-out rally later in the frame with three straight hits from Audrey Vandagriff, Ambrey Taylor and Salen Hawkins. Taylor busted out of her hitless streak in the NCAA tournament with a hard double, and Hawkins drove both runners in with a 2-RBI single.
Hawkins came into the NCAA tournament on a eight-game hitless streak but has three big hits for the Crimson Tid ein each of its last three postseason wins.
“I’m been working my butt off,” Hawkins said. “After practice, I go hit with my dad some more. I just wanted to come through for my team. I just wanted to help contribute in some way and just get some runs on the scoreboard.”
Saturday’s game showed that Alabama’s pitchers aren’t just robots as the Tide gave up its first run of the NCAA tournament on an RBI single from LSU’s Tori Edwards in the bottom of the third. Vic Moten dealt with some traffic on the base paths but stepped up in one of the biggest starts of her young career, only allowing the one run over four innings pitched.
“My intangible for the team is bringing energy,” Moten said. “Whenever I pitch, I want to put us in the best position possible.”
After the second rain delay, Alabama junior ace Jocelyn Briski came in to close it out over the final three innings. She did not allow a run, striking out five batters.
LSU didn’t go down without a fight, but behind a raucous Rhoads crowd, the Crimson Tide prevailed. Alabama was picked in the preseason to finish ninth in the SEC and is now headed to Oklahoma City as the top overall seed and one of the favorites to win a national title.
Alabama will face the winner of the Los Angeles Super Regional between No. 8 UCLA and UCF in its opening game at the Women’s College World Series.
This story will be updated.
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Softball
May 22, 2026
Alabama’s Jocelyn Briski shuts out LSU with 11 strikeouts in super regional win
May 22, 2026
Watch every strikeout from Alabama pitching star Jocelyn Briski’s shutout win over LSU in the Crimson Tide’s 2026 NCAA softball super regionals opener.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— LSU leadoff hitter Jalia Lassiter came inches away from taking Jocelyn Briski deep on the first at bat Friday night. The Tigers bats didn’t come close to threatening the Alabama ace after that.
Briski continued her dominance in the circle, striking out 11 batters over seven scoreless innings to lead the top-ranked Crimson Tide to a 7-0 win over No. 16 LSU in the first game of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
LSU put a scare into the Rhoads Stadium crowd, as Lassiter’s lined a leadoff double off the top of the left field wall. However, with the help of a highlight snag by third baseman Ambrey Taylor, Briski pitched her way out of the first-inning jam unscathed.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a super regional where the leadoff hits a double, and then nothing after that,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game. “You guys got to witness some really good pitching tonight.”
The junior flamethrower was brilliant from there. Briski didn’t allow another LSU hit after Lassiter’s leadoff double. She retired 21 straight batters to close out the game. The Crimson Tide pitching staff still has not allowed a run in the NCAA tournament through four games. It was the 26th shutout of the season.
“I think it was a miss pitch on my part,” Briski said of the double. “But I think the defense just did a great job behind me. Knowing that it was the first inning, there was really no reason to press at all. If they score a run or two, I know our offense is going to come through and score. I think it was just a great game, and the girls went and scored in the first inning right way, so it just took off a lot of pressure for the rest of the game for me.”
Alabama’s bats backed up their ace at the plate with seven runs on 10 hits. The Tide offense came out hot with a two-run first inning highlighted by an RBI single from Audrey Vandagriff and a double from Alexis Pupillo that Murphy said was one of the hardest-hit balls he’s ever seen at Rhoads. Pupillo added on with her 18th home run of the season with a solo shot in the third inning.
“It was just a really good first inning, and I thought it really set the tone,” Murphy said.
Second baseman Jena Young provided the big blow that put the game completely out of reach with a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning. Young now has seven hits and seven RBIs in the NCAA tournament.
Because of Briski’s efficiency, Alabama will have its full pitching staff available for Saturday’s game. LSU used two pitchers: starter Patyn Monticelli and reliever Cece Cellura. Jayden Heavener will likely get the start for the Tigers in the second game. Even though Murphy wouldn’t say, it will probably be freshman Vic Moten for the Tide.
Alabama is now one win away from a trip back to the Women’s College World Series. Game 2 between the Crimson Tide and Tigers is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday.
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