Alabama Executes Seventh Inmate via Controversial Nitrogen Gas Method

Anthony Todd Boyd was executed by nitrogen gas hypoxia in Alabama, marking the state's seventh use of this controversial method since its first application in January 2024. Boyd, convicted of aiding in the 1993 kidnapping and burning death of Gregory Huguley over a $200 cocaine debt, maintained his innocence until his death and criticized the justice system in his final words. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt the execution, with Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissenting, highlighting concerns about the method's potential for cruel and unusual punishment. Witnesses reported that Boyd exhibited convulsions and struggled for several minutes during the execution, which took longer than previous nitrogen executions. Alabama officials defended the execution as justice served after decades of legal challenges, while critics emphasize the ethical and constitutional debates surrounding nitrogen hypoxia as a method of capital punishment. The procedure's controversial nature has drawn scrutiny as other states authorize but have yet to implement nitrogen hypoxia.