Alabama Governor Kay Ivey confirmed the death in a statement. “After more than 30 years, and attempt following attempt to cripple the system, Mr. Smith has paid for his terrible crimes. I pray that Elisabeth Bennett’s family can experience a sense of closure following all these years.”
Attorney General Steve Marshall said it has proven to be an “effective and humane method of execution” and dismissed the “wild predictions of activists and the media.” “Justice has been done,” he said.
Smith’s writhing appeared to be involuntary movements, according to Alabama prison supervisor John Hamm. “That was all expected and we also saw that as a side effect when researching the use of nitrogen. There was nothing that deviated from what we expected.”
