CBS News
Nitrogen gas execution was “textbook” and will be used again, Alabama attorney general says
The execution of convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen hypoxia was “textbook,” Alabama’s attorney general Steve Marshall said in a news conference on Friday.
The execution was carried out on Thursday night and marked the first time nitrogen hypoxia, a process that aims to cause asphyxiation by forcing an individual to inhale pure nitrogen or lethally high concentrations of it through a gas mask, was used to execute someone.
“What occurred last night was textbook,” Marshall said. “As of last night, nitrogen hypoxia as a means of execution is no longer an untested method. It is a proven one.”
Smith had requested the method of death after surviving a botched lethal injection in 2022, but his attorneys argued that he was being used as a “test subject,” and human rights activists criticized the untried new method.
Multiple legal challenges were levied against the use of nitrogen hypoxia before the execution. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama was within its constitutional rights to carry out the execution, and on Thursday the court allowed the execution to proceed as planned.
Marshall said Friday morning that he could hardly call the execution “justice” for the family of Elizabeth Sennett, whom Smith was convicted of killing in 1989, because of how long it took for the sentence to be carried out. Smith was one of two men who received $1,000 from Sennett’s husband to kill her. Sennett’s husband committed suicide a week after the killing. His accomplice Parker was executed in June 2010 for his part in the killings, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Marshall apologized to the couple’s sons on Friday.
“I want to tell the family, especially the victim’s sons, Mike and Chuck, how genuinely sorry I am for the horrific manner in which their mother lost her life, but I also want to apologize to them for how long it took for this sentence to be carried out,” Marshall said.
Marshall said that 43 other inmates sentenced to death in Alabama have requested execution by nitrogen hypoxia. He said that he also believes other states will begin using the method.
“Alabama has done it, and now so can you,” Marshall said. “We stand ready to assist you in implementing this method in your states.”
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
