Alabama's Controversial Nitrogen Gas Execution Sparks Outrage

Another Nitrogen Execution in Alabama Raises Human Rights Concerns

Alabama has executed Anthony Boyd, a 54-year-old death row inmate, using the controversial nitrogen gas method, marking the state's seventh such execution since introducing this novel capital punishment technique. The execution, which took place on October 23, 2025, at William C. Holman Correctional Facility, has reignited debates about execution methods and human rights in the United States.

The Execution and Its Aftermath

Anthony Boyd was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. after what witnesses described as a prolonged and distressing process. According to Associated Press reports, Boyd exhibited physical distress for approximately 15 minutes after the nitrogen gas was administered. Witnesses observed him clenching his fist, raising his head from the gurney, shaking, and heaving breaths before becoming still. The execution chamber curtain was closed at 6:27 p.m., with officials stating it remains closed for five minutes after confirmation of no heartbeat.

In his final words, Boyd maintained his innocence, stating: "I didn't kill anybody. I didn't participate in killing anybody. There can be no justice until we change this system." He concluded with words of encouragement to his supporters: "Let's get it."

Controversial Method Under Scrutiny

Nitrogen hypoxia execution involves placing a gas mask over the inmate's face and administering pure nitrogen gas, causing death by oxygen deprivation. Alabama adopted this method in 2018 as an alternative to lethal injection, primarily due to pharmaceutical companies refusing to supply drugs for executions and concerns about botched lethal injections.

However, the method has faced significant criticism. Reverend Jeff Hood, Boyd's spiritual advisor who witnessed the execution, stated: "This is the worst one yet. I find them absolutely incompetent when it comes to carrying out these executions." Hood believed Boyd maintained some level of consciousness for at least 16 minutes during the process.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm offered a different perspective, stating the execution took "only a few minutes longer than some others" and that Boyd's movements were "involuntary."

Legal Challenges and Broader Implications

Boyd's attorneys had filed multiple legal challenges attempting to halt the execution. They argued the nitrogen method could cause unconstitutional suffering, particularly given Boyd's asthma condition. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Boyd's request for a stay and his alternative proposal to be executed by firing squad instead.

This case represents the eighth nitrogen gas execution nationally and continues Alabama's controversial leadership in implementing this method. The state conducted the world's first nitrogen execution in January 2024 with Kenneth Eugene Smith, whose widow described the process as "like watching somebody drown without water."

Background and Legacy

Boyd had been on death row since 1995 for his conviction in the 1993 murder of Gregory Huguley, who was burned alive over a $200 drug debt. Prosecutors alleged Boyd helped tape Huguley's feet together before another man set him on fire. During his nearly three decades on death row, Boyd became chair of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty, an organization founded by death row inmates.

The execution comes amid growing international scrutiny of U.S. execution methods. Human rights organizations have condemned nitrogen hypoxia as potentially causing conscious suffocation, while supporters argue it provides a more humane alternative to problematic lethal injections.

As states continue seeking alternatives to traditional execution methods, Alabama's nitrogen protocol remains at the center of legal and ethical debates about capital punishment in America.