Executed by nitrogen gas

[adidan]

Until he's in more pain than Elizabeth Sennett, the woman he murdered, then I don't care.

Who was Kenneth Eugene Smith's victim Elizabeth Sennett?

Kenneth Eugene Smith will be the first person in the world to be executed using nitrogen gas , for his 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett. But who was the victim? And why did Smith kill her?

www.dailymail.co.uk

I've noticed when these cases are covered in the media, either written or visual, the reporters seem reluctant to state what the person did to get there.

If you murder someone expect to be killed.

And yet the family saw no point in the execution and said that he had paid his "debt".

And they're right.
Is it a deterrent? No.
Is it punishment? No. Once you're dead you're dead.

So what is the point? Saving money? He was on deaths row for decades so how is that saving money?

Plus, in all other cases, you have to rely on the Justice System being infallible

 

[GGizmo]

Religious when it suits I take it?

That is religious.

Do you think you can murder someone and continue living? I would feel shame.

I'm not advocating a rule for others that I wouldn't want on myself. If I deliberately murdered someone then execute me.

 

[danlightbulb]

This information is freely available, perhaps educate yourself rather than idly speculating? Case in point, one of the drugs most commonly used in general anaesthesia is made in Italy and the manufacturer won't export to the US for use in capital punishment.

Does it have to made in Italy though, is it under patent? I assume the US must have drug manufacturing companies, or could set up a lab for this very infrequent small scale use.

Anyway, it doesn't really affect me so this is just for speculation purposes.

 

[danlightbulb]

And yet the family saw no point in the execution and said that he had paid his "debt".

Maybe but that is a slight misquote I think, at least looking at the BBC article:

Mike Sennett, the son of the victim, said the family wouldn't be celebrating but that Smith had paid his "debt".
"Nothing that happened here today is going to bring Mom back," he said, adding: "We're glad this day is over".

This suggests to me that the son thinks he has now paid his debt, i.e now that he is dead.

 

[GGizmo]

And yet the family saw no point in the execution and said that he had paid his "debt".

And they're right.
Is it a deterrent? No.
Is it punishment? No. Once you're dead you're dead.

So what is the point? Saving money? He was on deaths row for decades so how is that saving money?

Plus, in all other cases, you have to rely on the Justice System being infallible

I agree that we see injustice in the system. But then we also see obvious cases too.

Unfortunately those who advocate no execution means we see heinous murderers allowed out. Colin Pitchfork should be dead. Yet he's twice been given parole.

Kenneth Eugene Smith: Alabama carries out first nitrogen gas execution

The untested method was approved after lethal injection drugs became more difficult to obtain.

www.bbc.co.uk

From my reading of the article the son said the debt was paid by this guys execution.

Mike Sennett, the son of the victim, said the family wouldn't be celebrating but that Smith had paid his "debt".

 

[mid_gen]

That is religious.

Do you think you can murder someone and continue living? I would feel shame.

I'm not advocating a rule for others that I wouldn't want on myself. If I deliberately murdered someone then execute me.

What happened to Thou Shalt Not Kill? Seems pretty unambiguous to me.

 

[Johno please?]

This is pathetic honestly. Sorry.

We don’t need to be doing that. Just do it swiftly and get it over with.

None of this inhumane nonsense.

Whats the humane way then?

 

[Nasher]

Is there a reason they dont sedate them, put them to sleep, then kill them?

There is probably some stupid health and safety reason for not allowing it. Even though they are killing them anyway.

The Japanese keep it simple. They just hang em. A rope doesn't fail.

 

[Allnamestaken]

Whats the humane way then?

???

 

[Thekwango]

One would have thought that a state government would be able to procure it quite easily, perhaps just rock up to the local hospital.

nope.

 

[One More Solo]

Does it have to made in Italy though, is it under patent? I assume the US must have drug manufacturing companies, or could set up a lab for this very infrequent small scale use.

Anyway, it doesn't really affect me so this is just for speculation purposes.

It's not under patent but it's also not regularly used for anaesthetic purposes anymore, so I expect reintroducing production in the US is cost prohibitive. I suppose there is a gap in the market there but you may struggle to recruit people to work in a facility solely focused on producing drugs for execution.

I'm only speculating myself but the pro-execution posters in this thread don't strike me as being capable biochemists.

 

[Johno please?]

???

Whats the humane way to kill someone?

 

[Thekwango]

If I deliberately murdered someone then execute me.

what if wasn't deliberate? what if was an accident? or what if it wasn't you killed them at all?

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Whats the humane way to kill someone?

Poorly designed and shoddily manufactured submarine reaching crush depth seems the way to go. Bit pricey, mind you.

 

[jeffk]

I’ve always weird that so many limited government Americans are in favour of their government having the right to kill its citizens - especially when the judiciary is so politicised.

 

[robfosters]

There is probably some stupid health and safety reason for not allowing it. Even though they are killing them anyway.

The Japanese keep it simple. They just hang em. A rope doesn't fail.

I think you’ll find hanging has gone wrong quite a lot. Even a small miscalculation of the required drop can fail to break the neck and cause a torturous strangulation death

 

[mid_gen]

I’ve always weird that so many limited government Americans are in favour of their government having the right to kill its citizens - especially when the judiciary is so politicised.

I am resolutely opposed to allowing the government to force me to do anything.

But they can kill me. That's fine.

 

[Allnamestaken]

Whats the humane way to kill someone?

I was replying to the guy practically edging himself at the thought of others suffering.

I don't have an answer but Terminal is on the right track with the submarine.

 

[Freefaller]

Not suggesting the guy in the article is innocent, but waiting 30 years or so to be executed feels as crass as the crime he committed. In that time who knows if he's been able to reform or actually find a way of adding value to society. I'm generally anti death penalty (of course I suppose there are always mitigations), but 2 wrongs don't fix the problems that society have created. Killing the guy doesn't bring the dead back.

Yeah I guess I'm just a soft touch/wimp/whatever... but that's how I feel about it.

 

[SPG]

Its a clear cut case.... Don't do bad **** , hanging worked for a long time. Maybe people in Alabama have a gurney kink.

Or make a running man style TV show, zero sympathy for a clear cut case, should be done next day tbh instead of this lawyers making appeal after appeal. Bad people do bad things and the world is not short of people good or bad.