Credit: Federal Public Defender's Office for the Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana & Adobe Stock
Final Moments Of Inmate Executed By Method ‘Too Inhumane’ For Use On Animals Revealed
The final moments of a death row inmate executed by a method banned for use on cats and dogs have been revealed.
Louisiana recently carried out its first execution using nitrogen gas, marking a significant and controversial step in the state’s capital punishment history.
Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, was put to death on March 18, 2025, for the 1996 murder of Mary ‘Molly’ Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive.
This execution, which took place at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, used nitrogen hypoxia, a method that has been banned for use on cats and dogs in some states due to concerns about animal cruelty.
The execution began at 6:21 p.m. when pure nitrogen gas was pumped into a mask covering Hoffman’s face.
Within moments, Hoffman started to display involuntary movements. Witnesses reported that his hands clenched, his head jerked, and his chest moved in response to the gas.
While these actions were described as ‘convulsive activity’ by authorities, they were consistent with prior nitrogen executions in Alabama, where similar reactions were observed in executed inmates.
The gas continued to flow for 19 minutes until Hoffman was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m.
Gina Swanson, a reporter from WDSU, was one of the media witnesses to the event.
She described the process as ‘clinical’ and ‘procedural,’ with no immediate signs that anything had gone wrong, AP reports.
She noted: “There was nothing that occurred during the process that made me think, ‘Was that right? Was that how it was supposed to go?'”
While Hoffman did not make a final statement or request a final meal, his spiritual adviser was present, and Buddhist chanting could be heard in the chamber before the execution began.
Hoffman’s death was the fifth execution in the United States using nitrogen gas, a method that deprives the body of oxygen by forcing the condemned individual to breathe only nitrogen.
Alabama first used nitrogen for execution in 2024, and the method has been authorized in a few other states, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.
Louisiana’s decision to use nitrogen gas followed a decade-and-a-half hiatus in executions, largely caused by difficulties in acquiring lethal injection drugs, The Guardian reports.
Hoffman’s lawyers had fought vigorously to halt the execution, arguing that nitrogen hypoxia could be a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
Additionally, they claimed the method infringed on Hoffman’s rights to religious practices, specifically his ability to engage in Buddhist meditation and breathing exercises before death.
However, these last-minute appeals were unsuccessful. The U.S. Supreme Court and a Louisiana district court both allowed the execution to proceed.
The use of nitrogen gas as a death penalty method has raised significant ethical concerns.
Opponents argue that it causes unnecessary suffering and could be considered inhumane, particularly given the convulsive movements observed during the process. Additionally, there are concerns about how states obtain the nitrogen used for executions.
The three largest suppliers of medical-grade nitrogen in the U.S. have blocked their products from being used in executions.
Despite this, Louisiana’s Department of Corrections was reportedly able to acquire nitrogen from a supplier, leading to further scrutiny of the process.
In the wake of Hoffman’s execution, activists and religious groups continue to express outrage.
Sister Helen Prejean, a longtime anti-death penalty advocate, stood outside the prison shortly after the execution, decrying the state’s decision.
Meanwhile, Hoffman’s lawyer, Cecelia Kappel, lamented the execution as a senseless act, pointing to Hoffman’s transformation over the years.
“He was a father, a husband, and a man who showed extraordinary capacity for redemption,” Kappel stated.
While some victim’s family members, including the husband of the murdered woman, expressed mixed feelings, the state of Louisiana has justified its actions by claiming that justice had been delayed for too long.
Governor Jeff Landry’s administration has been a driving force behind the resumption of capital punishment in the state, and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has signaled that more executions are likely in the coming year.
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