Louisiana
Louisiana inmate scheduled to die tonight argues execution method would violate his religious rights
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Hours before a Louisiana man is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday evening, his attorneys were hoping for a last-minute court ruling to halt the state’s first execution by nitrogen gas.
Louisiana plans to use the new method to put Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, to death Tuesday evening in the state’s first execution in 15 years. Nitrogen gas has been used just four times to execute a person in the United States – all in Alabama, the only other state with a protocol for the method.
Hoffman’s lawyers say the method is unconstitutional, violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. They also say it infringes on Hoffman’s freedom to practice religion, specifically his Buddhist breathing and meditation in the moments leading up to death.
Louisiana officials maintain that the method, which deprives a person of oxygen, is painless. They say it is past time for the state to deliver justice promised to victims’ families after a decade and a half hiatus – a pause brought about partly by an inability to secure lethal injection drugs.
Attorney General Liz Murrill says that she expects at least four people on Louisiana’s death row to be executed this year.
Murrill said that she expected the execution to go forward as planned and that “justice will finally be served.” Hoffman was convicted of the 1996 murder of a 28-year-old advertising executive, Mary “Molly” Elliott, in New Orleans. At the time of the crime, he was 18.
After court battles earlier this month, attorneys for Hoffman are turning to the U.S. Supreme Court in a bid to halt the planned execution. However, the court declined to intervene in the nation’s first nitrogen hypoxia execution in 2024.
On Monday, Hoffman’s attorneys filed several challenges in state and federal courts in a last-ditch effort to spare him.
At a hearing Tuesday morning, 19th Judicial District Court Judge Richard “Chip” Moore declined to stop the execution. He agreed with state lawyers who argued that the man’s religion-based arguments fell under the jurisdiction of a federal judge who had already ruled on them, according to local news outlets.
Under Louisiana protocol, which is nearly identical to Alabama’s, Hoffman is to be strapped to a gurney and have a full-face respirator mask – similar to what is used by painters and sandblasters – fitted tightly on him. Pure nitrogen gas is then to be pumped into the mask, forcing him to breathe it in and depriving him of the oxygen needed to maintain bodily functions.
The nitrogen gas is to be administered for at least 15 minutes or five minutes after his heart rate reaches a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer.
Each inmate put to death using nitrogen in Alabama has appeared to shake and gasp to varying degrees during their executions, according to media witnesses, including a reporter from The Associated Press. The reactions are involuntary movements associated with oxygen deprivation, state officials have said.
Currently, four states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma – specifically authorize execution by nitrogen hypoxia, according to records compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.
Alabama first used the lethal gas to put Kenneth Eugene Smith to death last year, marking the first time a new method had been used in the U.S. since lethal injection was introduced in 1982.
In an effort to resume executions, Louisiana’s GOP-dominated Legislature expanded the state’s approved death penalty methods last year to include nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution. Lethal injection was already in place.
Over recent decades, the number of executions nationally has declined sharply amid legal battles, a shortage of lethal injection drugs, and waning public support for capital punishment. That has led a majority of states to either abolish or pause carrying out the death penalty.
Hoffman is scheduled to be the seventh person put to death in the country this year.
Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Louisiana
First Alert Forecast: Coldest Night of Season in Southwest Louisiana — Here’s What You Need to Know
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – After enjoying mild weather in the 70s just yesterday, southwest Louisiana is bracing for the coldest night of the season so far, with temperatures expected to plunge well below freezing overnight and wind chills dipping into the teens.
What to Expect Tonight
Temperatures will vary depending on where you live in southwest Louisiana:
Inland areas north of I-10: Temperatures will drop below 32 degrees for 8 to 12 hours, with wind chills potentially reaching the upper teens.
Along I-10: Freezing conditions expected for 5 to 8 hours.
Coastal areas: Temperatures will dip below freezing for 1 to 2 hours, with the least severe impacts.
Monday morning will be brutally cold to start, but temperatures will gradually warm into the low 50s by afternoon as the sun rises.
Protect Your Pipes
The most immediate concern for homeowners is frozen water pipes. Here’s what you need to know:
If you’ve never had pipe problems before: You likely won’t experience issues tonight. Pipes typically only freeze when temperatures stay below 25 degrees for several hours.
If you’ve had problems in the past: Take precautions now. Cover exposed pipes or leave a faucet dripping slowly. Once temperatures rise above freezing, stop dripping the faucet to avoid wasting water.
Use common sense and assess your home’s vulnerable areas. Every situation is different.
Other Safety Reminders
- Outdoor pets: Bring them inside if possible, or ensure they have adequate shelter and unfrozen water.
- Check on neighbors and friends: Make sure elderly relatives and those living alone are staying warm and safe.
- Test your smoke detector: Cold weather increases the use of heating sources — make sure your smoke detector is working properly.
- Dress in layers: If you’ll be outside, bundle up. Wind chills will make it feel significantly colder than the actual temperature.
Looking Ahead
The good news? This cold snap won’t last long. Southerly winds should return as early as Tuesday afternoon, gradually warming temperatures back toward normal.
However, Monday night into Tuesday morning will bring widespread frost with calm winds and temperatures in the 30s.
Another cold front is expected to move through Wednesday night into Thursday, bringing scattered showers. This system won’t be as severe as today’s front, but temperatures will drop slightly by week’s end.
A third cold front may arrive Sunday with scattered showers and possibly a few thunderstorms, though impacts appear minimal.
By Thursday and Friday, temperatures will rebound into the 70s before cooling slightly over the weekend.
Copyright 2025 KPLC. All rights reserved.
LSU women’s basketball started slow but recovered Saturday against Louisiana Tech, head coach Kim Mulkey’s alma mater. Inside New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center, the No. 5 Tigers won 87-61 to improve to 11-0.
Mikaylah Williams led the team with 19 points while Flau’Jae Johnson notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Kate Koval and MiLaysia Fulwiley finished with 19 and 10 points, respectively. Jada Richard dished out a game-high eight assists.
Grace Knox, in the first start of her college career, scored four points as part of a 6-0 opening run for LSU, but three three-pointers put Louisiana Tech up with 7:19 on the clock. Back-and-forth play ensued, but the Lady Techsters led by two at the end of the first quarter. They hung around on the glass as well, limiting the Tigers to one and done most times.
LSU woke up in the second quarter and began imposing its physicality. Louisiana Tech didn’t score until the 5:34 mark and racked up fouls, including two on sharp-shooter Paris Bradley. The Tigers were in the bonus for over half of the second quarter but experienced a near-three-minute scoring drought, letting the Lady Techsters hang around. LSU led by nine points heading into the locker room. Both teams shot under 40% in the opening 20 minutes.
Louisiana Tech kept the game within reach for much of the third quarter but it eventually got away. LSU ended the frame on a 9-0 run and built a 20-point lead for good a minute into the fourth. Turnovers and mental mistakes piled up for the Lady Techsters, which gave the Tigers more chances to push the pace of play. The Tigers went on a 14-2 run over four minutes when substitutes started rolling in. They shot 58.6% in the second half.
LSU lacked success in transition
LSU relies on getting into track meets with opponents quickly to build a comfortable cushion. That didn’t happen Saturday as Louisiana Tech hit its shots to open the game. Even when the Lady Techsters missed, they were comfortable going one-and-done most times as they prioritized getting numbers back to defend. That’s how they kept the score close in the early goings.
In the first half, LSU scored just six points in transition and 11 points off turnovers. The Tigers stepped up on the defensive end in the second half. Even though they didn’t produce the fast break opportunities they’re used to, they were more patient on the offensive end and knocked down their open shots.
Koval, Joyner didn’t get enough touches
As in most of its nonconference games, LSU possesses a substantial size advantage inside. That was the case Saturday but the purple and gold struggled to get the ball inside to Koval and Joyner. When the pair had touches, they often either finished, kicked out for an open shot, or drew a foul. They combined for 21 points on 21 shots from the field and 10 free-throw attempts. LSU scored just 36 points in the paint over the entire game.
Likely driven by Mulkey’s comments at the break. LSU made a concerted effort to pounce on the ball inside. Koval scored over half of her points in the final two quarters. She easily worked with passes over the top of Louisiana Tech’s Averi Aaron and in the high-low when the Lady Techsters went to a zone. The Tigers need to learn from their lack of post play and use their advantage inside, especially as they prepare to play in the SEC.
Williams led LSU throughout the game
LSU struggled to find rhythm on both ends of the court in the early goings but Williams put the team on her back in the middle two frames. She scored 13 points, including two triples, on four of seven shots from the field. She added five rebounds and three assists over the same span.
Williams played a team-high 32 minutes on Saturday and she played all but two minutes in the first half. The junior displayed much-needed poise to an LSU team that couldn’t settle into the way it wanted to play initially. She also locked in on the defensive end, switching onto Bradley and locking her down for the back half of the contest. Her play in all facets gave the Tigers the confidence that they needed to pull ahead in the second half.
Kramer Robertson, son of Kim Mulkey, New Orleans Pelicans and Saints owner Gayle Benson and Mayor-Elect Helena Moreno sit on the sidelines during the first half of a Compete 4 Cause Classic basketball game between the Louisiana State Tigers and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
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