Louisiana Executes Inmate Using Nitrogen Gas After Narrow Supreme Court Decision

Louisiana Executes Inmate Using Nitrogen Gas After Narrow Supreme Court Decision

Louisiana executed death row inmate Jessie Hoffman on Tuesday, using nitrogen gas for the first time in the state's history and only the fifth time in U.S. history. Hoffman, who was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of 28-year-old Molly Elliott, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. after a "flawless" execution, according to Gary Westcott, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Hoffman, 39, had been challenging the use of nitrogen gas, arguing that it violated his religious freedoms by interfering with his Buddhist meditative breathing practices. Despite his objections, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the execution in a narrow 5-4 decision, following a series of legal proceedings.

The execution marked Louisiana’s first death sentence carried out in 15 years, largely due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Hoffman’s execution was delayed earlier by a federal judge, who cited concerns about potential pain and suffering. However, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled this decision on Friday, allowing the execution to proceed.

Hoffman’s case attracted significant attention due to his controversial death by nitrogen gas, a method that had only previously been used in Alabama. Hoffman was convicted for the brutal kidnapping, rape, and murder of Molly Elliott, whose body was found in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, after she was forced to withdraw money from an ATM and taken to a remote location, where she was shot in the head execution-style.

After the execution, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stated, “Tonight, justice was served for Molly Elliott and for the state of Louisiana." Hoffman’s attorney, Cecelia Kappel, expressed her opposition to the execution, calling it "senseless" and emphasizing Hoffman’s personal growth since the crime.

Hoffman’s execution began at approximately 6:21 p.m., and witnesses reported he briefly twitched and clenched his fists during the process, though there was no indication of pain.

The execution proceeded after a series of legal battles, including a temporary halt by Chief District Judge Shelly Dick, who raised concerns about the potential for pain and suffering. Hoffman’s defense team, led by Kappel, argued that nitrogen gas could violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, based on previous reports of suffering during Alabama's nitrogen gas executions.

The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which allowed the execution to go ahead. Justice Neil Gorsuch, along with the court's three liberal members, dissented, with Gorsuch noting that the courts had not properly considered Hoffman’s religious freedom argument.

Despite the contentious legal battle, Hoffman’s execution was carried out, marking a significant moment in the ongoing debate over execution methods in the U.S

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