Louisiana carried out the execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr. on Tuesday evening using nitrogen gas, marking the state’s first execution in 15 years and its first time utilizing this method, The Associated Press reports.
Hoffman, 46, was convicted of the decades-old murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott in New Orleans. He was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
According to authorities, the nitrogen gas flowed for 19 minutes during what one official described as a “flawless” execution. Witnesses reported that Hoffman appeared to involuntarily shake or have “some convulsive activity” during the process. However, media witnesses stated that based on the established protocol and their understanding of the execution method, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Witness Gina Swanson, a reporter with WDSU, characterized the execution as “clinical” and “procedural.”
Hoffman declined to make a final statement or request a last meal.
This marks the fifth time nitrogen gas has been used for executions in the US, following four previous executions in Alabama. Three other executions by lethal injection are scheduled this week in Arizona, Florida, and Oklahoma.
Hoffman’s attorneys had filed last-minute appeals to the Supreme Court, arguing that the nitrogen gas procedure, which deprives the person of oxygen, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. They also argued it infringed on Hoffman’s right to practice his Buddhist faith through breathing and meditation leading up to his death. The Supreme Court declined to intervene.
Louisiana officials asserted that the method is painless and that the execution was necessary to deliver justice to the victim’s family after a prolonged hiatus due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs.
Earlier in the day, a 19th Judicial District Court judge also declined to halt the execution, siding with the state’s argument that the religious freedom claims had already been addressed by a federal judge.
The Louisiana protocol, similar to Alabama’s, involves strapping the inmate to a gurney and fitting a full-face respirator mask. Pure nitrogen gas is then pumped into the mask, depriving the inmate of oxygen. The protocol mandates a minimum of 15 minutes of gas administration or five minutes after a flatline indication on the EKG.
Media witnesses reported that Hoffman was covered with a blanket, and his spiritual advisor was present in the chamber. Before the execution, Buddhist chanting could be heard.The gas began flowing at 6:21 p.m., and witnesses observed Hoffman twitching and experiencing slight head movements. His last visible breath appeared to be at 6:37 p.m.
Seth Smith, chief of operations at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, acknowledged Hoffman’s movements, attributing them to involuntary responses to dying.
Each inmate executed with nitrogen in Alabama also exhibited shaking and gasping to varying degrees, which Alabama officials attributed to oxygen deprivation.
Alabama first used nitrogen gas in 2023, marking the first time a new execution method had been introduced in the U.S. since lethal injection in 1982.
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma specifically authorize execution by nitrogen hypoxia. Arkansas joined the list on Tuesday after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation approving the method.
The number of executions nationally has been declining due to legal challenges, drug shortages, and diminishing public support for capital punishment, leading many states to abolish or suspend the death penalty.
On Tuesday afternoon, opponents of the death penalty held a vigil outside the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
