US inmate faces first nitrogen execution | BBC News

An Alabama death row inmate is hours away from undergoing the first US execution by nitrogen gas after losing last-minute appeals. The US Supreme Court and a lower appeals court have declined to block what Kenneth Eugene Smith's lawyers called a cruel and unusual punishment. Nitrogen is to be pumped into his body through a mask for up to 15 minutes. Smith, 58, was convicted in 1989 of murdering a preacher's wife, Elizabeth Sennett, in a killing-for-hire. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #Alabama #BBCNews