Alan Eugene Miller was executed by nitrogen gas in Alabama for a 1999 triple homicide after a failed lethal injection attempt in 2022. Miller gasped, shook, and struggled against restraints for two minutes before eventually losing consciousness and dying. He had been on death row since 2000 and was originally set for lethal injection in 2022.
The use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution has drawn controversy and criticism, as it is relatively untested and its effects on the condemned are not fully understood. The Biden administration and U.N. officials have expressed concerns that the method may constitute cruel or inhumane treatment.
Miller was convicted of killing three people during workplace shootings in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, believed to be motivated by delusions. He had been living in Autauga County at the time of the murders. The method of execution in his case was chosen by him and his defense team after the failed lethal injection attempt.
Alabama has offered to help other states adopt nitrogen-asphyxiation executions as a simpler alternative for those struggling to obtain lethal-injection drugs. Advocacy groups against capital punishment have targeted suppliers and mask makers, including the maker of the mask used in Alabama’s executions. The state has plans for at least two more executions in 2023.
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