A man was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on Thursday, while Alabama carried out its second execution using nitrogen gas, a method that has sparked controversy in the U.S.
These executions raise the total number of executions in the U.S. this year to 18, with five occurring in the past week.
Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, was executed in Oklahoma for the 1992 murder of Kenneth Meers, who was killed during a convenience store robbery. Although Littlejohn admitted to being at the scene, he has consistently denied firing the fatal shot, with both him and his accomplice, Glenn Bethany, blaming each other for the murder. Littlejohn received the death penalty while Bethany was sentenced to life in prison.
In August, the State Board of Pardons recommended commuting Littlejohn’s sentence, despite objections from some of the victim’s family. On Wednesday, Littlejohn appealed to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, stating, “Governor, don’t kill me for the heck of it.” However, Stitt, who has rarely used his clemency power, ultimately denied the request. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated that “justice has been served for the murder of Kenny Meers.”
In Alabama, 59-year-old Alan Miller was executed for a 1999 workplace shooting that claimed the lives of three colleagues: Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy, and Terry Lee Jarvis. He was executed by nitrogen gas, a method that has raised concerns and was previously compared by the United Nations to a form of torture. Reports indicate that Miller struggled against his restraints as he suffocated, shaking for about two minutes. This was not as violent as the previous execution using nitrogen hypoxia, during which Kenneth Smith reportedly thrashed for several minutes.
The White House expressed its concern about Alabama’s use of nitrogen, while civil liberties groups, the European Union, and the UN human rights office also condemned the method. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced beforehand that she would not grant clemency for Miller. An earlier attempt to execute him via lethal injection was halted last September due to issues with administering the lethal drugs.
Currently, the death penalty has been abolished in 23 U.S. states, while six others—Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee—are under a moratorium on executions.
