Atmore, Alabama — The second execution in the nation to employ nitrogen gas, which has sparked controversy over its humanity, took place Thursday in Alabama. The guy was convicted of killing three people in back-to-back workplace shootings.
At 6:38 p.m. local time, a prison in south Alabama proclaimed Alan Eugene Miller, 59 years old, dead. For about two minutes, he trembled and shook on the trolley, his body jerking against the straps at various points. Then, for the next six minutes, he would periodically suck air before finally becoming still.
Miller had a prior attempt at capital punishment in 2022 after being convicted in 1999 for the murders of Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy, and Terry Jarvis.
Despite wearing a gas mask that covered his entire face, from forehead to chin, Miller managed to utter the words “I didn’t do anything to be in here” in his final moments. But the trial witnesses who described Miller killing the three men left no room for dispute regarding his guilt.
Miller pleaded with his loved ones to “take care” of someone at the execution as well, though he did not specify who.
Miller was one of five death row inmates executed in a single week, an abnormally high number that goes against a trend of declining death row executions in the United States over the past several years.
This evening, the inmate’s choice of execution technique brought justice for these three victims, according to a statement released by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. His deeds were characterized by utter wickedness, not lunacy. His horrific deeds altered the course of three families’ lives, and I hope that they can find some solace over time.
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According to state authorities, none of the three victims’ relatives were present during the execution and decided not to make a statement for the media.
This was the second execution in Alabama to adopt the new procedure, which was initially used in January for the execution of Kenneth Smith. The technique is inhaling pure nitrogen gas through a respirator mask, which deprives the convict of oxygen and ultimately leads to their death.
After Smith shook in seizure-like convulsions for several minutes, at times rocking the gurney, activists and officials from Alabama have debated over whether he suffered an excessive amount of suffering during his execution. Smith then spent a few minutes gasping for air. Miller trembled in a manner reminiscent to the first nitrogen gas execution, except his shaking was shorter and less intense.
The tremors were expected, according to John Q. Hamm, commissioner of prisons in Alabama.
As we discussed in Smith, as oxygen levels drop, the body will begin to move automatically. As Hamm explained, the nitrogen gas flowed for fifteen minutes, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. “Our protocol was followed and everything proceeded as expected.”
The execution “went as expected and without incident,” according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
The State demonstrated once again that nitrogen hypoxia is both successful and compassionate, despite efforts by biased media, out-of-state attorneys, and political activists to spread false information, according to a statement by Marshall.
According to prison officials, Marshall was not present for the execution but an emissary from his office was.
Three people were killed in the gunshots that shook Pelham, a suburban city just south of Birmingham, on August 5, 1999. Miller, a delivery truck driver, was found guilty of capital murder in connection with these events.
Miller allegedly entered Ferguson Enterprises that morning and shot and killed two coworkers, 32-year-old Holdbrooks and 28-year-old Yancy, according to the police. Then he got in his car and drove the eight kilometers (or five miles) to his old workplace, Post Airgas, where he shot Jarvis, who was 39 years old. Miller was paranoid and thought his coworkers were talking trash about him, according to the trial testimony.
According to a witness, Miller said, “You’ve been spreading rumors about me,” just before he started shooting. Shots rang out for all three men.
Miller then rescinded his not guilty by insanity plea, which he had entered at first. The defense’s retained psychiatrist testified that Miller did suffer from mental illness, but that it was not serious enough to support an insanity defense, as stated in court records. Following twenty minutes of discussion, the jury found Miller guilty and recommended the death punishment to him by a vote of 102 to 102.
The previous effort to kill Miller in 2022 was aborted by the state due to technical difficulties in administering an intravenous line to the 351-pound (159-kilogram) prisoner. After an undisclosed settlement with the state, Miller decided to discontinue his lawsuit challenging the nitrogen gas protocol.
The state did not alter the process, according to Hamm. A sedative was one of the many things Miller had asked for. When asked about the settlement, Hamm addressed inquiries regarding Miller to his lawyers and refused to confirm or deny whether Miller had been given a sedative.
