A death row inmate in Louisiana was executed on Tuesday using nitrogen inhalation, a method previously employed only in Alabama and criticized by United Nations experts as a form of torture.
Jessie Hoffman, 46, was sentenced to death for the 1996 kidnapping, rape, and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliot. His execution marked Louisiana’s first in 15 years.
The announcement of Hoffman’s execution came from his attorneys through statements to local media, though state officials had not immediately confirmed the event.
Attorney Cecelia Kappel condemned the execution, stating, “The state pushed through a new protocol, set execution dates to evade thorough judicial review, and conducted the process in secrecy.”
This week, three more executions are scheduled in the United States—one in Arizona on Wednesday and two on Thursday in Florida and Oklahoma—all by lethal injection.
Since the beginning of the year, six executions have taken place in the country. While most were carried out by lethal injection, Alabama conducted one by nitrogen inhalation, and South Carolina used a firing squad.
Hoffman’s attorneys had appealed for a stay of execution up to the Supreme Court, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The first-ever nitrogen inhalation execution occurred in Alabama on January 25, 2024, when Kenneth Smith was put to death, sparking widespread criticism. Since then, Alabama has carried out three more executions using the same method.
Currently, 23 U.S. states have abolished the death penalty, while six others—Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee—have placed executions on hold through moratoriums.
