The last hours before execution
In the final days, 58-year-old Kenneth Smith spoke with his family, including his wife and son, and met with his spiritual advisor, the Rev. Jeffie Hood. The discussions reflected a mix of fear and calm about what lay ahead, with Hood noting that Smith feared punishment yet expected he would eventually be released in some sense. The priest also reported that Smith began experiencing asthma-like attacks, likely driven by anxiety.
Hood was allowed to stay in the cell adjacent to Smith during the execution, a decision he described as a horror show. In their latest joint statement, Hood and Smith’s supporters framed the impending execution as a moral crisis, urging humanity not to normalize the act of strangling someone. Hood also recounted that prison officials answered every question with assurances to trust them, though he remained unconvinced by those reassurances.
On the day of the execution, Smith received nine visitors, a breakfast tray, and a chance to make a phone call. His final meal included steak, pancakes, toast, and eggs. Shortly before the execution, the State Attorney General’s Office advised that Smith should not be fed further to prevent the risk of vomiting and suffocation.
How did the execution occur?
At 7:47 p.m. local time, journalists were escorted into the room to observe the procedure. Among those present were Smith’s wife and son, a close friend, and his attorney, all wearing Never Alone T-shirts. Two of Smith’s victims’ sons also attended, highlighting the enduring pain of the case.
When Smith saw his family, he smiled, nodded, and gave a thumbs up before the official reading of the verdict and the opportunity for a final statement. He delivered a long message reflecting on a sense of humanity rising after a failed execution attempt in November 2022. The assertion that Alabama had forced humanity to step back framed his closing remarks, which ended with words of love and gratitude for the support he had received.
Following the statement, Smith spoke with his confessor and engaged in prayer. Hood laid a Bible on Smith’s feet as consolation, and Smith continued to smile at his family. Hood later described how he expressed his love, touched his own heart, crossed himself, and reassured Smith that he was not alone.
At about 7:58 p.m., gas began to flow into the mask worn by the condemned man. Smith appeared to tremble and writhe on the stretcher for roughly two minutes, with his hands striking the barriers and his breathing becoming shallow for about seven minutes. An Alabama local news observer noted that at one point Smith’s wife screamed during the proceedings.
Around 8:01 p.m., a corrections officer leaned over to assess his condition and then returned to position. Smith continued to breathe deeply for several minutes before slowing, as journalists could no longer perceive any breath. Throughout this period, the priest remained nearby, continuing to administer baptism. By 8:05 p.m., the doctor declared the prisoner dead.
Commissioner Jon Hamm of the Alabama Department of Corrections stated at a post-execution press conference that nitrogen was delivered into Smith’s mask for about fifteen minutes. A professor of biological sciences, cited by a media outlet, explained that sustaining the nitrogen flow after cardiac arrest was intended to prevent revival. Hamm noted that it was expected for Smith to struggle as the gas took effect, given the physiology involved with nitrogen hypoxia.
When questioned about the initial signs of distress, Hamm explained that the effort to hold his breath and avoid inhaling more nitrogen was anticipated. The broader debate centered on the pain associated with nitrogen hypoxia, with opponents arguing that the method could be a novel and potentially painful approach, while supporters described it as a humane and painless option. An academic widely cited in the coverage did not emphasize pain, suggesting the experience could be defined more by oxygen deprivation than by sensation. Multiple perspectives were presented in relation to the method and its historical usage in the United States.
Across the national landscape, five execution methods exist in state jurisdictions: hanging, firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber, and lethal injection. The peak year for executions in the last four decades was 1999, with 98 deaths, while a little over 20 inmates were put to death in 2023.
“The worst thing I have ever seen”: Views of execution witnesses
Smith’s confessor described the experience as torture and profoundly harrowing. The priest called it the scariest scene he had witnessed. The two sons of Elizabeth Sennett, whom Smith killed in 1988, told CNN that they were unsettled by the public focus on the new method rather than the broader moral questions of the crime. They were 20 at the time of their mother’s death, when she was 45, and emphasized that the offender should face the consequences of his actions.
Mike Sennett expressed no relief at the outcome, stating that nothing could bring his mother back and that forgiveness had been extended years ago. His brother Charles, who attended the execution, noted that Smith had never apologized to the victim’s family, suggesting that would have aided in offering more compassion earlier. He observed that Smith could have delivered a letter of apology through the priest, yet took no such step. As Christians, the family had chosen forgiveness years earlier.
Governor Kay Ivey commented that Smith had attempted to exploit the system for decades but ultimately faced consequences for a grave crime, adding that the execution was carried out legally using nitrogen hypoxia and that the matter was now closed. The governor framed the outcome as a final resolution to the case.
The narrative surrounding the execution thus touched on legality, morality, and the human cost borne by those who lost loved ones years ago, as well as the broader debate over execution methods and human rights considerations.
Smith case
Charles Sennett Sr., a Protestant pastor, was implicated in the plot as a financier who sought to erase debts through murder. He and two accomplices killed the wife of Kenneth Smith in a staged home invasion, stabbing the victim and striking him with a fireplace tool. The motive included insurance and financial gain, with Smith taking a VCR as part of the cover story. Detectives quickly connected the crime to the priest, who committed suicide about a week after the murder. The other two accomplices were apprehended, while one was executed in 2010. Smith faced a death sentence, but an appeals court ordered a new trial, and at the second trial in 1996 the jury recommended life imprisonment. The judge overrode that verdict, sentencing Smith to death, a practice now restricted by Alabama law. Smith was scheduled for lethal injection in 2022, but the attempt was hampered by difficulties establishing a viable intravenous line, a challenge that has occurred in other U.S. cases as well.