Alan Miller was executed by the State of Alabama for three murders that were committed in 1999
According to court documents Alan Miller believed that coworkers were talking about him behind his back. Miller would go to two businesses and would murder Lee Michael Holdbrooks, Christopher S. Yancy, and Terry Lee Jarvis
Alan Miller would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
The first time that Alabama attempted to execute Alan Miller it failed due to the lethal injection process. The Alabama Governor would say that they would not attempt to execute Miller by lethal injection again. A year later Miller would be executed using nitrogen gas
Alan Miller Execution
Alabama has carried out the second execution in the US using the controversial method of nitrogen gas, an experimental technique for humans that veterinarians have deemed unacceptable in the US and Europe for the euthanasia of most animals.
Alan Eugene Miller, 59, was pronounced dead at 6.38pm local time at a south Alabama prison.
Miller shook and trembled on the gurney for about two minutes with his body at times pulling against the restraints, followed by about six minutes of gasping, according to the Associated Press.
The lethal method involves being strapped down with a respirator mask applied to the face and pure nitrogen piped in. The resulting oxygen deprivation will cause death by asphyxia.
Miller’s final words were “I didn’t do anything to be in here” and “I didn’t do anything to be on death row”, according to reporters who witnessed his death. His voice was at times muffled by the mask that covered his face from forehead to chin.
Miller’s death is the latest in an extraordinary week in the US in which five condemned men in five states have been executed over six days. On Friday, South Carolina killed Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, in its first execution in 13 years, and on Tuesday, Texas killed Travis Mullis and Missouri put to death Marcellus Williams. Also on Thursday, Oklahoma executed Emmanuel Littlejohn.
The execution of Williams in Missouri prompted widespread outrage across the US and beyond after local prosecutors, the victim’s family and several trial jurors tried unsuccessfully to stop it from going ahead. There was no forensic evidence to tie Williams to the crime, and the current prosecuting attorney for St Louis county concluded that the prisoner was actually innocent.
Alabama pressed ahead with Miller’s execution on Thursday over the 1999 shootings that killed three of his co-workers – Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy and Terry Jarvis – despite deep misgivings about the new nitrogen method.
“Tonight, justice was finally served for these three victims,” Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey, said in a statement. “His acts were not that of insanity, but pure evil. Three families were forever changed by his heinous crimes, and I pray that they can find comfort all these years later.”
The first nitrogen execution was carried out, also by Alabama, in January.
An eyewitness for the Associated Press described the death then of Kenneth Smith, 58. “Smith began to shake and writhe violently, in thrashing spasms and seizure-like movements … The force of his movements caused the gurney to visibly move at least once. Smith’s arms pulled against the straps holding him to the gurney. He lifted his head off the gurney and then fell back.”
Alabama described Smith’s death as a “textbook” execution.
Smith and Miller share a distinction in addition to the experimental killing method applied to them. Both men had the exceptionally unusual experience of surviving an execution attempt by lethal injection.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/26/alabama-nitrogen-gas-execution-alan-miller
