Feb 20 Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos can be considered ‘children’ under state law By Kim Chandler, Associated Press Justices issued the ruling Friday in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic. Continue reading
Jan 27 An eyewitness account of what happened at the nation’s 1st nitrogen gas execution By Kim Chandler, Associated Press As witnesses watched through a window, Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted and sentenced to die in the 1988 murder-for hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett, convulsed on a gurney as Alabama carried out the nation's first execution using nitrogen gas. Continue reading
Jan 26 U.S. at front of death penalty debate after Alabama execution uses nitrogen gas, the first ever By Kim Chandler, Associated Press A man who was paid $1,000 to kill an Alabama woman more than 30 years ago has been put to death with pure nitrogen gas, a first-of-its-kind execution that again placed the United States at the forefront of the debate… Continue reading
Jan 25 Alabama carries out country’s 1st execution by nitrogen gas after Supreme Court ruled it could proceed By Kim Chandler, Associated Press Alabama executed a convicted murderer with nitrogen gas Thursday, putting him to death with a first-of-its-kind method that once again put the U.S. at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment. The state said the method would be humane, but critics… Continue reading
Jan 25 Alabama set to execute inmate with nitrogen gas, new method critics call cruel and experimental By Kim Chandler, Associated Press Kenneth Eugene Smith is scheduled to die Thursday night for his conviction in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett. Continue reading
Jan 24 Federal court says Alabama can carry out first nitrogen gas execution; Supreme Court appeal expected By Kim Chandler, Associated Press A federal appeals court says Alabama can carry out the nation's first execution using nitrogen gas. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith by nitrogen hypoxia. Continue reading
Jan 23 Alabama defends untested nitrogen execution method, but experts doubt claims of painlessness By Kim Chandler, Associated Press The state of Alabama has predicted in federal court filings that the nitrogen gas will “cause unconsciousness within seconds, and cause death within minutes.”… Continue reading
Jan 21 Watch 5:37 Why Alabama’s plan to execute a prisoner using nitrogen gas is raising concerns By John Yang, Winston Wilde, Azhar Merchant Unless the courts intervene, a death-row inmate in Alabama is scheduled on Thursday to become the first person in the U.S. to be executed using an untested method: nitrogen hypoxia. Alabama’s solicitor general has called it “painless and humane,” but… Continue watching
Jan 19 Alabama inmate asking federal appeals court to block first-ever execution by nitrogen gas By Kim Chandler, Associated Press An Alabama inmate set to be the first person put to death by nitrogen gas will ask a federal appeals Friday to block the upcoming execution. Continue reading
Jan 05 Former Alabama police officer charged with murder in shooting of Black man By Kim Chandler, Associated Press A former Alabama police officer has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man in front of his own home during a dispute with a tow truck driver. Continue reading