Two death row inmates in the United States were executed on Wednesday, with one put to death by lethal injection in Oklahoma and another by nitrogen gas in Alabama, marking the second time this controversial method has been used in the country.
Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma for his role in the 1992 murder of 31-year-old Kenneth Meers during a convenience store robbery.
While Littlejohn admitted to being present at the scene, he denied firing the fatal shot, with both he and his accomplice, Glenn Bethany, blaming each other. Despite a recommendation for sentence commutation by the State Board of Pardons in August, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt denied clemency. Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated, “justice has been served for the murder of Kenny Meers.”
In Alabama, Alan Miller, 59, was executed by nitrogen gas for a 1999 workplace shooting that left three colleagues dead. Media reports indicate Miller struggled against his restraints during the procedure at Atmore Penitentiary, where he was suffocated with nitrogen gas pumped through a facemask. This marks the 18th execution in the US this year, including five in the past week. The use of nitrogen hypoxia has sparked controversy, with the United Nations condemning it as a form of torture.
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