Louisiana has executed a death row inmate using nitrogen gas for the first time, marking the state's first execution in 15 years. Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, was executed for the 1996 rape and murder of Mary "Molly" Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive in New Orleans. The execution took place at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where Hoffman was declared dead at 6:50 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
This method of execution, which involves forcing the condemned to inhale nitrogen through a mask, has only been used by one other state. Witnesses reported a prolonged and distressing death, with Hoffman twitching and convulsing for 19 minutes before his last breath was observed 16 minutes into the procedure.
Despite last-minute appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, allowing the execution to proceed. Five conservative justices supported the decision, while three liberal justices opposed it. Justice Neil Gorsuch expressed that he would have paused the execution to consider Hoffman's religious objections.
Hoffman's attorney, Cecelia Kappel, criticized the execution, describing it as "senseless" and noting Hoffman's transformation since the crime. She also criticized Louisiana's Republican governor, Jeff Landry, for pushing the resumption of capital punishment, arguing that it does not bring peace to victims' families.
Andy Elliott, the victim's husband, described the execution as "bittersweet," expressing relief that the ordeal was over but also renewed grief for his wife and sympathy for Hoffman's family.
The use of nitrogen gas as an execution method remains controversial. Hoffman's lawyers argued that it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and interferes with his Buddhist beliefs, which emphasize meditative breathing at death.
Questions have arisen about how Louisiana obtained the nitrogen, as major suppliers have prohibited its use in executions. Airgas, one of the suppliers, stated that they have not provided nitrogen for execution purposes and have communicated this to the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
Before the execution, the victim's sister-in-law called for clemency, arguing that executing Hoffman was not justice. On the same day, Arkansas became the fifth state to adopt nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, joining Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Arkansas currently has 25 inmates on death row.