Alabama
Alabama schedules second nitrogen gas execution for man who survived lethal injection
Alabama officials have rescheduled the execution of a man who survived his first execution attempt.
The state first attempted to execute Alan Eugene Miller on 22 September 2022 via lethal injection. However, the execution was called off after officials failed to connect an IV line.
Now, Miller will be executed by nitrogen hypoxia on 26 September, Alabama governor Kay Ivey announced on Wednesday. A former delivery driver, Miller was convicted of killing three people in a 1999 workplace shooting.
In 2022, Alabama vowed not to attempt another lethal injection on Miller. The commitment came after he sued the state, claiming they lost his paperwork which indicated he chose nitrogen hypoxia as his method. At the time, there was no protocol in place for hypoxia execution in the state.
Miller will be the second person executed by nitrogen gas in the US. The first person, Kenneth Smith, was executed in Alabama in January. The state of Alabama botched a total of three executions in 2022, including Miller’s and Smith’s.
Journalists inside the room described how Smith appeared to struggle as he was put to death. Reporter Lee Hedgepeth said: “I’ve been to four previous executions and I’ve never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas.”
Despite previously advocating for it, Miller is now challenging the execution method in a US district court, arguing the current protocol violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Associated Press reports.
His attorneys cited witness descriptions of Smith’s execution in their filings, arguing for a different protocol.
“An alternative method of nitrogen hypoxia execution is available that is feasible, readily implemented, and will significantly reduce a substantial risk of severe pain,” Miller’s attorney, J Bradley Robertson, told local outlet WVTM 13 last week.
Meanwhile, Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall has said Smith’s nitrogen gas execution was “textbook”.
“Nitrogen hypoxia as a means of execution is no longer an untested method,” Mr Marshall said in January after Smith’s execution. “It is a proven one.”
The state asked a judge to dismiss Miller’s motion earlier this week. His legal team must now respond to that request.
The Independent has contacted Mr Marshall’s office and Miller’s attorneys for comment.
The Independent and the non-profit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to its Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty – with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives including Ariana Huffington, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage.
Dog makes hilarious grand kitchen entrance through a window
Ranger the dog from Fairhope, Alabama, jumps through a window to get back inside after being put outside.
- Alabama folklore includes cryptids such as the White Thang, a large creature sighted in the northern part of the state.
- The Wolf-Woman, a creature with a woman’s head and a wolf’s body, was reportedly seen in Mobile in 1971.
- Other Alabama cryptids include Hugging Molly, the Witch in the Woods, the Sipsey Creature and the Coosa River Monster.
Something is lurking in Alabama’s woods, or so the stories go.
Tales of strange sightings and eerie encounters have been passed around campfires for generations. Whether it’s backcountry whispers or blurry photos, the legends endure and they’re as much a part of Alabama as the pine trees and red clay.
There are Alabama’s creepiest cryptids, perfect for your next campfire story.
Tales of the White Thang haunt Alabama
The White Thang is Alabama’s most legendary cryptid, and no one can quite agree on what it is. Some say it looks like a white Bigfoot, while others swear it’s more like a giant cat or wolf. Standing nearly eight feet tall with glowing red eyes, the creature is fast, elusive and known for an eerie screech.
Most sightings of the White Thang occur in north Alabama between Morgan, Etowah and Jefferson counties. However, it has also been spotted in Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, Walnut Grove and Happy Hallow. The creature’s reach isn’t limited to one corner of the state; reports have popped up in other areas of Alabama and even in neighboring states.
The last major sighting was reported in the early 2000s, but some say White Thang is still out there. Reports surfaced as recently as last year, and a Facebook group dedicated to the creature has locals swapping stories and asking, “Have you seen it, too?”
Have you seen Mobile’s Wolf-Woman?
The Wolf-Woman of Mobile is one of Alabama’s most mysterious legends.
In 1971, people in Mobile reported seeing a creature with a woman’s head and a wolf’s body. Witnesses described glowing eyes and eerie howls.
Though dozens claimed to see her, no proof had turned up, and then she seemed to disappear. But stories keep popping up, with locals and students saying they’ve heard strange sounds deep in the swamps.
Whether real or just a spooky tale, the Wolf-Woman remains a haunting part of Alabama folklore.
The lores don’t stop there
Alabama’s cryptid stories don’t stop with the White Thang and Wolf-Woman. There’s Hugging Molly, the Witch in the Woods, the Sipsey Creature, the Coosa River Monster and plenty more strange legends lurking in the state’s backwoods.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
After Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos decided to trash talk Alabama football earlier this week, one of the Crimson Tide’s other opponents is taking the opposite tact.
During an appearance on the Zach Gelb Show, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers made it clear that he still respects the Tide.
“Shoot, Alabama’s still Alabama to me,” Sellers said. “They were good last year. They’re a good team. They’re big, strong and fast. That’s how I remember watching them growing up, and I don’t really think they’ve changed that much. Obviously they’ve got a new coaching staff and all that, but that’s still SEC ball, that’s still Alabama.”
Sellers got to see Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama up close last season. The Gamecocks lost a nailbiter in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and almost certainly would have made the College Football Playoff if they had beaten the Crimson Tide.
The QB threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns and a costly interception last year in Tuscaloosa. He and South Carolina will see the Tide in Columbia this season.
Sellers comments come after Castellanos, who joined Florida State as a transfer from Boston College this offseason, disparaged Alabama in an interview with On3.
“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos told On3. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
The Crimson Tide will likely be favored against the Seminoles to open the season. FSU struggled last year, finishing 2-10, with just one win over an FBS opponent, a one-score victory over Cal.
Alabama will begin preseason camp in early August. The Crimson Tide will make the trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Aug. 30.
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ATHENS – Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs just landed one of their biggest overall targets in the 2026 class.
4-star EDGE Khamari Brooks.
A top target for assistant Chidera Uzo-Diribe and the rest of the Bulldog defensive staff, Brooks, as expected, chose Georgia today over Alabama. Brooks earned an offer from the Dawgs back in October, and after double-digit visits to Athens, the local defender finally made his commitment to Georgia public.
Of course, this was no surprise to Dawg Post members.
Why did Brooks choose Georgia?
“What made Georgia special is it being the hometown team and the way that they play the EDGE position. Their pitch was that they really believed in what I could become if I stick to the work. They made me feel like a very high priority the entire time.”
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What will Brooks bring to Athens?
Max effort, versatility and the ability to get after the quarterback.
One of the top two-way prospects in Georgia, Brooks is a playmaking defender who also shined at tight end for North Oconee (GA) last season.
He brings a muscular frame at 6-foot-2 230-pounds with natural strength and above-average athleticism. He’s a promising pass-rusher and an outstanding run defender who has a true nose for the football. He fights off blocks with ease and does a great job of running down the ball-carrier horizontally. He shows strong instincts, takes good angles to the ball-carrier, and knows how to deliver a bruise when the gets there.
Brooks is one of the more disruptive defenders across the state who can blow up any particular play before it gets going. He shows an outstanding first step and has the ability to beat opposing tackles with both speed and power. He’s a matchup nightmare who brings his very best on every single play.
What does North Oconee head coach Tyler Aurandt have to say about Brooks?
“Georgia’s getting a player that is going to be loyal, committed, hard-working, and a great teammate,” Aurandt told Dawg Post. “He has such a great spirit about him that people are going to love him for the person that he is, but also the way he plays the game of football. He plays with so much fire, passion and energy. It’s hard not to pull for him.”
“I think Khamari‘s biggest strengths on the field would include his versatility, his toughness and his physicality. He’s a guy that can be moved all over the field. He will continue to play extremely tough and physical no matter where he’s lined up, but he’s a guy that does a lot of different things really well. He is a guy that can line up in the box out in space on an edge and create havoc. He has a natural ability to rush the passer, but he also has the physicality to set edges and create problems in run schemes.”
“Off the field, he is one of the best teammates that we will have come through this program. He genuinely loves the guys around him. He holds them accountable and does not allow them to fall below the standard. He does that very maturely and with a lot of respect.”
What were Brooks’ numbers in 2024?
Brooks is coming off an incredibly productive junior season where he made 131 total tackles, 17 TFLs, 13 Sacks, three pass-breakups, one INT, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 24 QB hurries and two defensive touchdowns. More importantly, he helped lead the Titans to a state championship.
As productive as he was, one of the best parts of Brooks’ game is that his best football is still way ahead of him. He does a lot of things well and should be even better once he gets to Athens.
The North Oconee (GA) star is ranked as the No. 17 EDGE defender and the No. 115 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.
Brooks becomes Georgia’s first EDGE commitment and their 19th overall commitment in the 2026 class. He’s also Georgia’s 9th commitment so far this month and he won’t be the last…
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