Executions in Oklahoma and Alabama – against clemency and with nitrogen

Once again, two death sentences were carried out in the USA on the same day – in Oklahoma by lethal injection and in Alabama using nitrogen.

Oklahoma

On Thursday morning, 52-year-old Emmanuel Littlejohn was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Oklahoma. He was sentenced to death because he and an accomplice had committed a robbery at a grocery store in 1992, which the store owner paid for with his life.

The clemency board hearing ended with a 3-2 vote in favor of commuting the death sentence to life in prison. While Littlejohn does not deny his role in the robbery, he said he was not the gunman who shot the victim, but his accomplice, who was not sentenced to death. A witness identified the taller of the two men as the shooter – Littlejohn is the shorter one.

Governor Kevin Stitt, however, was not impressed by the recommendation for clemency and ordered the death sentence to be carried out. As Littlejohn’s spiritual advisor, Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood, stated after the execution, Stitt was cruel enough to wait until the very last minute to make his decision, instead of informing the inmate and his relatives in advance so that they could have prepared themselves mentally, instead of fearing and hoping for mercy until the very end, only to be disappointed. Hood called the governor’s behavior “unbelievably cruel”.

Governor Stitt on his decision: “The jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death. As a law-and-order governor, it’s difficult for me to unilaterally overturn that decision.” Stitt has followed the clemency board’s recommendation only once out of five cases in which he has been recommended for clemency.

Strapped to a cot with an intravenous line in his right arm, Littlejohn looked toward his mother and daughter, who were witnessing the execution. His mother sobbed quietly and held on to a cross chain during the lethal injection, which began shortly after 10 a.m. (local time). Littlejohn’s breathing became labored before a doctor determined at 10:07 a.m. that he was unconscious. he was pronounced dead 10 minutes later.

Alabama

On Thursday evening, 59-year-old Alan Eugene Miller was executed by nitrogen hypoxia in the US state of Alabama. He was sentenced to death for shooting three men at their respective workplaces in August 1999. His current and former colleagues had spread rumors about him, according to court documents about his motive.

This was the second time that nitrogen was used to carry out a death sentence in the USA. Miller was injected with pure nitrogen via a face mask for 15 minutes, resulting in death by asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. Eyewitnesses reported that Miller lifted his head several times in the first four minutes, struggled against the restraints strapping him to the execution couch and then gasped for air for a further six minutes.

After Miller’s execution, the Attorney General again described the method as effective and humane, but was not present at the execution. It was not the first attempt by the state of Alabama to execute Alan Miller: Two years ago, he was already scheduled to be executed by lethal injection, but survived because those carrying out the execution were unable to place the IV needles for 90 minutes.

His conviction was questionable in terms of the sentence: Miller was mentally ill and suffered from a delusional disorder at the time of the crime. He had suffered extreme physical and psychological abuse at the hands of his father. Miller’s father regularly humiliated and insulted him. He beat him severely, causing multiple concussions and other injuries, and stabbed him with a knife. According to court documents, Miller’s father also often waved a gun around and threatened to kill his family.

Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-execution-emmanuel-littlejohn-7b6822bb3ad19122a903f9e215797646
https://www.al.com/news/2024/09/alabama-inmate-alan-miller-set-to-be-executed-with-nitrogen-gas-thursday-for-1999-shootings.html