Alabama

Alabama to introduce first new method of execution since 1982

Published

2 years ago

January 21, 2024

Alabama to introduce first new method of execution since 1982

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is preparing to use a new method of execution: nitrogen gas.

Kenneth Eugene Smith, who survived the state’s previous attempt to put him to death by lethal injection in 2022, is scheduled to be put to death Thursday by nitrogen hypoxia. If carried out, it would be the first new method of execution since lethal injection was introduced in 1982.

The state maintains that nitrogen gas will cause unconsciousness quickly but critics have likened the never-used method of execution to human experimentation.

What is nitrogen hypoxia?

Nitrogen hypoxia execution would cause death by forcing the inmate to breathe pure nitrogen, depriving him or her of the oxygen needed to maintain bodily functions.

Has it ever been used?

No state has used nitrogen hypoxia to carry out a death sentence. In 2018, Alabama became the third state — along with Oklahoma and Mississippi — to authorize the use of nitrogen gas to execute prisoners.

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.

How is it supposed to work?

Nitrogen, a colorless, odorless gas, makes up 78% of the air inhaled by humans and is harmless when breathed with proper levels of oxygen.

The theory behind nitrogen hypoxia is that changing the composition of the air to 100% nitrogen will cause Smith to lose consciousness and then die from lack of oxygen.

Much of what is recorded in medical journals about death from nitrogen exposure comes from industrial accidents — where nitrogen leaks or mix-ups have killed workers — and suicide attempts.

What does the state plan to do?

After Smith is strapped to the gurney in the execution chamber, the state said in a court filing that it will place a “NIOSH-approved Type-C full facepiece supplied air respirator” — a type of mask typically used in industrial settings to deliver life-preserving oxygen — over Smith’s face.

The warden will then read the death warrant and ask Smith if he has any last words before activating “the nitrogen hypoxia system” from another room. The nitrogen gas will be administered for at least 15 minutes or “five minutes following a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer,” according to the state protocol.

The state heavily redacted sections of the protocol related to the storage and testing of the gas system.

The Alabama attorney general’s office told a federal judge that the nitrogen gas will “cause unconsciousness within seconds, and cause death within minutes.”

What are the criticisms?

Smith’s attorneys say the state is seeking to make him the “test subject” for a novel execution method.

They have argued that the mask the state plans to use is not air tight and oxygen seeping in could subject him to a prolonged execution, possibly leaving him in a vegetative state instead of killing him. A doctor testified on behalf of Smith that the low-oxygen environment could cause nausea, leaving Smith to choke to death on his own vomit.

Experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this month cautioned that, in their view, the execution method would violate the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.

The American Veterinary Medical Association wrote in 2020 euthanasia guidelines that nitrogen hypoxia can be an acceptable method of euthanasia under certain conditions for pigs but not for other mammals because it creates an “anoxic environment that is distressing for some species.”

Is this the same as the gas chamber?

Not exactly. Some states previously used hydrogen cyanide gas, a lethal gas, for executions. The last prisoner to be executed in a U.S. gas chamber was Walter LaGrand, the second of two German brothers sentenced to death for killing a bank manager in 1982 in southern Arizona. It took LaGrand 18 minutes to die in 1999.

Who is the inmate?

Smith was one of two men convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of a preacher’s wife. Prosecutors said Smith and the other man were each paid $1,000 to kill Elizabeth Sennett on behalf of her husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect insurance money.

Alabama attempted to execute Smith in 2022 by lethal injection. He was strapped to the gurney in the execution chamber being prepared for lethal injection, but the state called off the lethal injection when execution team members had difficulty connecting the second of two required intravenous lines to Smith’s veins. Smith was strapped to the gurney for nearly four hours, according to his lawyers, as he waited to see if the execution would go forward.

Are there legal challenges?

The question of whether the execution can proceed will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday in Smith’s request to block the execution. After the court rules, either side could appeal.

Smith has argued that the state’s proposed procedures violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. He has also argued that Alabama violated his due process rights by scheduling the execution when he has pending appeals and that the face mask will interfere with his ability to pray.

In a separate case, Smith is arguing it would violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment for the state to make a second attempt to execute him after he already survived one execution attempt. Lawyers for Smith on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the execution to consider that question.

What is potentially at stake?

Lethal injection is the most commonly used execution method in the United States, but death penalty states have struggled at times to obtain the needed drugs or encountered other problems in connecting intravenous lines.

If the Alabama execution goes forward, other states may seek to start to using nitrogen gas.

If the execution is blocked by the court or botched, it could halt or slow the pursuit of nitrogen gas as an alternative execution method.

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Alabama

Goodman: The day Alabama football became an underdog

Published

2 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Goodman: The day Alabama football became an underdog

This is an opinion column.

It’s tough to see the Crimson Tide take it to the teeth again and again and again.

First it was the pummeling at the Rose Bowl and now Texas is taking its turn rearranging Alabama’s battered face.

The image of Alabama football might never be the same again.

Alabama forgot how to run the ball last season. It was embarrassing to watch. The Tide’s top running back rushed for 13 yards on five carries in the 38-3 loss to Indiana. Quarterback Ty Simpson had the longest run for an Alabama back, but he broke a rib and fumbled the football on the play.

Not good. Sad stuff.

The problems with Alabama’s running game were all going to change in the offseason, though. Coach Kalen DeBoer had big plans. He was going to bring in a transfer running back and reignite the flame.

Yeah, about that …

Alabama was set to sign a new running back last week. Hollywood Smothers (great name) was planning to leave N.C. State for Alabama. That Alabama didn’t already have five running backs better than a guy at N.C. State would make Nick Saban toss his Oatmeal Creme Pies, but let’s focus on one new reality at a time.

On Friday, Smothers flipped his commitment to Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian.

Oof.

But the hits didn’t stop there.

Texas also landed former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman on Sunday despite a max-effort push by Alabama that included hiring Coleman’s receivers coach away from the Tigers.

Is it just the money, or is the problem Alabama’s coaches and their broken offense, too? Either way, these are bitter days in Tuscaloosa. Don’t forget that Alabama also lost receiver Isaiah Horton to the transfer portal. On Sunday evening, news broke that Horton was headed to Texas A&M.

A new week is here and so is a different perception of Alabama. The Crimson Tide is officially a college football underdog. Alabama can’t run the ball against Indiana, and it can’t outspend the schools in Texas.

Is Alabama poor?

Oh, wait. I know. If that’s the case, then no doubt future football governor Tommy Tuberville will know how to fix it.

Until then, Alabama football is looking more and more like Ole Miss every day.

Is it enough for Alabama to simply limp into the playoffs these days? Maybe that’s the new measure of success. I’ll take 11 wins and a beat down by Indiana over missing the party altogether.

How does Alabama football get off the ropes and punch back? I don’t have an answer for that, but the beatings continue.

Alabama’s loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff was the kind of thing that can reshape college football history, but losing all of Alabama’s players to Texas year after year is worse. First it was receiver Isaiah Bond after the Iron Bowl. Bond was the hero of the 2023 Iron Bowl. He’s the player who caught the pass from Jalen Milroe in the back of the end zone.

Bond was going to be an Alabama legend forever. Then he made a “business decision” to leave Alabama for Austin.

We thought it couldn’t get any worse, but that was just the beginning of Alabama’s losses to Texas.

Coleman and Smothers would rather play with Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, and I can’t really blame them. Who’s going to be Alabama’s quarterback next season? No one knows. It’s either forever backup Austin Mack, or unproven underclassman Keelon Russell.

I was hoping the Tide could maybe lure former Arizona State triggerman Sam Leavitt out of the transfer portal, but that was a pipe dream. Leavitt, the top-rated quarterback in the portal, is expected to choose between Miami and Tennessee.

Some readers thought I was crazy on Saturday when I wrote that Auburn is better positioned for the future than Alabama. Then Sunday happened.

Will Alabama ever win another national championship? Seems ridiculous to even ask the question, but things come and go.

Remember when Yale and Princeton ruled college football? Then it was Notre Dame and Michigan for a time.

What about Alabama? Yeah, the Crimson Tide had a good run, too, but that was before money changed everything.

The running back that Alabama wanted chose Texas. The receiver that Alabama wanted went to Texas, too. Horton, a returning starter at receiver, is off to Texas A&M.

Who’s going to be on Alabama’s offensive line next season? No one knows that either. Everyone left.

Right tackle Wilkin Formby would have been a returning starter, but then he went to … you guessed it … Texas A&M.

Alabama’s offensive line was pretty bad last season, but can it get even worse?

When you’re an underdog like Alabama, it’s best to keep the salaries low and expectations even lower.

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Alabama

Star Alabama WR will sign with SEC rival out of transfer portal

Published

14 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Star Alabama WR will sign with SEC rival out of transfer portal

A bad day in the transfer portal for Alabama football got a little bit tougher on Sunday evening. Wide receiver Isaiah Horton, a starter for the Crimson Tide in 2025, announced that he’ll be transferring within the SEC.

Horton will land at Texas A&M, the same place as former UA offensive tackle Wilkin Formby. The wideout shared the news on his social media Sunday.

The Horton news follows a day in which Alabama missed out on a potential superstar replacement at receiver, when Cam Coleman announced his commitment to Texas. To make matters worse for the offense, running back Hollywood Smothers, who publicly committed to the Crimson Tide from NC State, flipped to Texas on Sunday as well.

Horton provided valuable size in Alabama’s receiver room. He caught 42 passes for 511 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025.

The 6-foot-4, 208-pound native of Nashville, Tenn. led the Crimson Tide in touchdown catches. He had a knack for getting open in the end zone in clutch situations, as seen most clearly in the Iron Bowl.

As Alabama struggled against an Auburn team playing with an interim coach at Jordan-Hare Stadium in November, Horton caught three touchdown passes. He made his final scoring grab on a crucial fourth down late in the fourth quarter.

With Horton gone, plus Germie Bernard running out of eligibility, Alabama has just one returning starter (Ryan Williams) at wide receiver from the 2025 season remaining. The other spots will likely be filled by the likes of Lotzeir Brooks, Rico Scott and Derek Meadows.

Alabama will be facing off against the Aggies this season, for the first time since 2023. The Crimson Tide will host Texas A&M on Oct. 24 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Undergraduate players are allowed to enter the transfer portal through Friday. Players who do can sign with a new team at any time, even after the entry window is closed.

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Alabama

Nate Oats Rips Alabama Players for Being ‘Too Comfortable With Losing’

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Nate Oats Rips Alabama Players for Being ‘Too Comfortable With Losing’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 13 Alabama men’s basketball might have a bit of a problem.

The Crimson Tide was upset by Texas at home on Saturday night, and the 92-88 loss was riddled with negatives. Alabama came into this one with a road loss to undefeated Vanderbilt, and this should’ve been a game to shake it off.

But Alabama was down by double digits to Texas on numerous occasions throughout the contest. Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats said during the postgame press conference that defensive assistant Brian Adams “does a really good job putting good game plans together,” but “guys that don’t care enough to lock in and follow” those game plans.

“It starts with effort,” Oats said. “The want-to, competitive edge, guys just don’t want to lose, give you everything they got. The guys are apparently too comfortable with losing right now, because they’re not giving us everything they got on that side of the floor.

“So, I think it starts with having guys that just refuse to lose. From there, it goes to guys, like in the moment, having some personal pride in stopping their man. Too many blow-bys, too many isolation plays, just beat one-on-one, guy’s not locked down on the help side, a guy gets beat…I do think we’ve got some guys that care enough about winning on the defensive end, but you’ve also got to score the ball on offense, too.

“So we’re going to have to figure out the right lineups to play that care enough, compete enough, are tired of losing, got enough personal pride in their defense and they care enough to prepare. … Losing doesn’t bother them enough yet. I don’t know how many losses it’s going to take until it bothers them, but it bothers me. It bothers the coaching staff, and as soon as it starts bothering the players enough, I’m sure they’ll change.”

Another way to ensure winning is by converting at the free throw line. Alabama looked the part in the first half, as it hit 11 of its 12 attempts from the charity stripe. But in the second half, in part due to the defense, the Crimson Tide continued to fall behind, and it led to UA converting just eight of its 15 attempts in the latter 20 minutes.

“When you’re locked in, you’re locked in,” Oats said. “When you’re locked in on defense, all you care about is winning the game. When you’re locked into the defense and you go to the line, and you’re just focused on winning the game, you’ll step up and you’ll make your free throws.

“When you’re worried about a lot of stuff that’s a distraction, worried about stats and some other stuff, and you’re not locked in, that’s when you go to the line and miss. Especially when you’re a good shooter, guys that should be making free throws at a high level. And the pressure got them a little bit in the second half, we got down 13.

“I mean, we do a free-throw game. It took us four tries to get it the way I wanted it yesterday. Guys have got to care enough to get in the gym and work on their free throws. So, free throws are the only thing in the game of basketball that has no variation to it ever, except for a variation you put in your own mind. Well, get enough reps up, you train your mind and basically become a machine at the free-throw line. Obviously, we’re not putting enough reps up right now.”

Alabama freshman forward London Jemison said after the game that the team needs to be “more connected” during games, practices, film and even when focusing on nutrition.

Oats provided an outline for the defense to gel more, the free throws to fall through the basket and a stronger connection to be enforced. And it’s quite a simple solution.

“It looks like we need some leadership to step up,” Oats said. “Some guys that want to get everybody together, tired of losing, stuff’s got to change. It’s not a talent problem. It’s a focus, effort and competitive juice problem. So, if they’re not as connected, that falls on the leadership of the team.

“And we’ve told these guys, ‘We’re here to help you. This is your team, your season. I’ll be coaching for a long time after this. They get one opportunity with this group to put it together. That’s it.’ So, if they love their brothers and they want their teammates to perform well, they’re going to give a lot better effort on the floor than what they’re doing. Maybe they’re not as connected.

“To me, it seems like we don’t have any bad guys. Like, there’s nobody that everybody just doesn’t like. They seem to like each other, but they obviously don’t respect their teammates enough to give a winning effort out there. Some of the guys are really bought into winning, but not everybody. So we’ve got to get everybody bought into winning.”

Alabama (11-5, 1-2 SEC) aims for a resurgence against Mississippi State (10-6, 2-1 SEC) on the road on Tuesday night.

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