Louisiana carried out its first execution in 15 years on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, using nitrogen hypoxia to execute Jessie Hoffman Jr., age 46. Hoffman was convicted in 1996 for the murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott in New Orleans. This marks Louisiana’s inaugural use of nitrogen hypoxia for capital punishment,joining a handful of states exploring this controversial method. the event has reignited debates regarding the constitutionality and morality of capital punishment,particularly the use of novel execution methods.

Key Details of the Execution

• Resumption of Executions: Louisiana resumed executions after a 15-year pause, utilizing nitrogen hypoxia.
• Conviction: Jessie Hoffman Jr. was executed for the 1996 murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott.
• Final Statement: Hoffman declined to make a final statement.
• Execution Duration: The execution lasted 19 minutes, with Hoffman pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m.
• Legal Challenges: Hoffman’s legal team argued that nitrogen hypoxia constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
• Supreme Court Decision: The Supreme Court denied a last-minute stay of execution by a 5-4 vote.
• Observed reactions: Witnesses reported that Hoffman exhibited convulsions during the execution.
• Legislative Expansion: The Louisiana Legislature expanded execution methods to include nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution.

Hoffman, who spent most of his adult life incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, was strapped to a stretcher and fitted with a full-face respirator. State officials reported that the nitrogen flow lasted for 19 minutes, and the execution was deemed “perfect.” However, eyewitness accounts indicated that Hoffman exhibited twitching during the process, similar to reactions observed in Alabama’s previous nitrogen hypoxia execution. Experts attribute these involuntary movements to hypoxia, the deprivation of oxygen to the brain.

The choice of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method stems from the increasing difficulty states face in acquiring conventional lethal injection drugs. pharmaceutical companies, ofen under pressure from anti-death penalty groups, have restricted the sale of these drugs for use in executions. This shortage prompted states like Louisiana to seek alternative methods.

These developments arrive amid fluctuating backing for the death penalty in the United States. While public support has decreased gradually over the last few decades, landmark instances and highly publicized crimes can trigger shifts in public sentiment, highlighting the intricate relationship between well-known legal incidents and broader public perspectives on capital punishment.

Legal and Ethical Challenges

Hoffman’s legal team mounted a vigorous defense,arguing that nitrogen hypoxia violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Their last-minute appeal also asserted that the method infringed upon Hoffman’s religious freedom,preventing him from practicing Buddhist breathing and meditation exercises in his final moments. Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court ultimately rejected the appeal.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, in a brief dissent, stated that Hoffman should have been afforded the prospect to argue his religious freedom claim in a lower court. The three liberal justices who voted to block the execution did not provide detailed reasons for their decision.

The legal challenges surrounding nitrogen hypoxia mirror broader debates about the death penalty’s constitutionality. Opponents argue that it carries a risk of prolonged suffering and fails to meet evolving standards of decency. Proponents, however, maintain that it provides a humane and efficient means of carrying out lawful sentences.

Louisiana Attorney General Leeds Muriel stressed that the state is committed to the execution of the death penalty and said it is expected to execute at least four more death sentences this year. Before Hoffman was executed, she said that with his death, “justice will eventually be served.”

Leeds Muriel, Louisiana Attorney general

Nitrogen Hypoxia: The procedure

Louisiana’s nitrogen hypoxia protocol involves securing the inmate to a gurney and placing a sealed breathing mask over their face.Pure nitrogen gas is then pumped into the mask, displacing oxygen and causing asphyxiation. The protocol mandates that nitrogen be administered for at least 15 minutes after the inmate’s electrocardiogram indicates cardiac arrest.

This method is designed to induce unconsciousness quickly, followed by death.however, concerns remain about the potential for equipment malfunction, leakage, or the inmate’s resistance, wich could prolong the process and cause unneeded suffering. These concerns have fueled legal challenges and ethical debates surrounding the use of nitrogen hypoxia.

The procedure is similar to the one used in Alabama, where Kenneth Eugene Smith became the first person in the United States to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia in January 2024. Smith’s execution also drew scrutiny due to witness accounts of convulsions and writhing, raising questions about the humaneness of the method.

National Context and Future Implications

Louisiana’s resumption of executions and its adoption of nitrogen hypoxia reflect a broader trend among states seeking to maintain capital punishment in the face of legal and logistical challenges. The Republican-led Louisiana legislature expanded approved execution methods last year to include nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution, supplementing previously approved lethal injection protocols. This action followed a prolonged period of execution delays, largely due to difficulties in procuring lethal injection drugs.

On the same day as Hoffman’s execution, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation approving nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method,making Arkansas the fifth state to formally adopt the practice.Mississippi and Oklahoma also authorize the use of nitrogen hypoxia for executions. Proponents, such as Attorney General Muriel, frame each execution as a victory: “justice will eventually be served.”

The trend has sparked concern in the medical community. Many doctors and ethicists, referencing the Hippocratic Oath, refuse to participate in executions citing the importance of prioritizing patient safety over other considerations. As more states consider nitrogen hypoxia, the ethical debate is certain to intensify, possibly leading to further legal challenges and calls for greater transparency and oversight.