Alan Eugene Miller was executed by nitrogen gas in Alabama for a 1999 triple homicide, becoming the second man in the nation to receive this method of execution. After failing to be executed by lethal injection in 2022, Miller struggled against his restraints and gasped for several minutes before ultimately succumbing to the gas. He was convicted of killing three people during workplace shootings in suburban Birmingham in 1999. The decision to use nitrogen gas instead of lethal injection came after a failed attempt to find a vein for the IV lines. The new method of execution has drawn national and international criticism, with concerns of potential torture or cruel treatment.
The use of nitrogen gas for executions has stirred ethical controversy, with witnesses describing Miller heaving and convulsing during the process. Alabama has offered to help other states adopt this method as an alternative to lethal injection. The maker of the respirator mask used in the execution did not comment on its use for this purpose.
Miller, who was delusional at the time of the murders, believed the victims were spreading rumors about him. He was convicted after a short deliberation and sentenced to death. Alabama plans to conduct more executions this year, with one scheduled by lethal injection and another by nitrogen hypoxia. Governor Kay Ivey expressed that justice was served for the victims of Miller’s crimes, which she described as ‘pure evil.’
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