AUTHOR : LLOYD MAHACHI

A 59-year-old man convicted of killing three people in back-to-back workplace shootings was executed in Alabama Thursday, reigniting debate over nitrogen gas as a lethal method.

Alan Eugene Miller was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. local time at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. Miller’s execution was marked by visible distress, shaking and trembling on the gurney for about two minutes, followed by six minutes of gasping breathing.

Before his execution, Miller received seven visitors on Wednesday and nine on Thursday. His final meal consisted of hamburger steak, baked potato, and French fries, according to the Department of Corrections.

Miller was convicted of killing three men – Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy, and Terry Jarvis – in 1999. He shot Holdbrooks and Yancy at Ferguson Enterprises, where he worked, before driving to Post Airgas and killing Jarvis.

The state had previously attempted to execute Miller by lethal injection in 2022 but was unsuccessful. Miller initially challenged the nitrogen gas protocol but dropped his lawsuit after reaching an undisclosed settlement with the state.

This execution marks the second time Alabama has used nitrogen gas, a method generating controversy over its humaneness. Critics argue it’s untested and may constitute torture or cruel treatment.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey stated, “Tonight, justice was finally served… His acts were not that of insanity, but pure evil.”

The debate surrounding capital punishment methods continues, with Alabama’s use of nitrogen gas executions at its forefront.

EDITED BY : JOSEPHINE MAHACHI