Louisiana Executes Inmate with Nitrogen Gas

• First execution in Louisiana in 15 years.
• Debate over the constitutionality of the method.
• Protests and opposition to the death penalty.

Louisiana executed 46-year-old Jessie Hoffman Jr. using nitrogen gas, marking the state’s first application of the death penalty in 15 years.

The execution took place Tuesday night at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, with the inmate pronounced dead at 6:50 PM. Hoffman, convicted of the murder of Mary «Molly» Elliott in 1996, did not make a final statement before the procedure.

«It’s unfortunate that there are bad people who commit really bad acts. When these acts of violence occur, society should not tolerate them,» stated Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry following the execution.

He added, «If you commit heinous acts of violence in this state, it will cost you your life. It’s that simple.»

Jessie Hoffman Executed in Louisiana with Nitrogen Gas

DEATH PENALTY: Convicted rapist-murderer Jessie Hoffman, 46, put to death by nitrogen hypoxia in Louisiana’s first state execution since 2010 https://t.co/ayaylmzkyr pic.twitter.com/r5c5bhcjtw

— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) March 19, 2025

The use of gaseous nitrogen as an execution method has only occurred on four previous occasions in the United States, all in Alabama.

According to Louisiana authorities, the process was «flawless» and the gas flowed for 19 minutes. However, a witness reported that the inmate suffered convulsions during the method’s application.

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Hoffman’s attorneys attempted to halt the execution, arguing that the use of gas is unconstitutional and violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

They also contended that the method infringed on the inmate’s religious freedom, as he practiced Buddhist meditation and breathing techniques.

However, the 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana rejected the appeal, as reported by WAFB, a CBS News affiliate.

The case also reached the United States Supreme Court, which denied a stay of execution with a 5-4 decision, according to The Associated Press.

Louisiana follows Alabama’s execution protocol, which involves placing the inmate on a gurney, securing a hermetic mask, and administering pure nitrogen, causing oxygen deprivation.

This procedure has sparked controversy, as witnesses in Alabama reported that executed inmates trembled and gasped before dying.

Death Penalty in Louisiana

State authorities insist these reactions are involuntary responses to oxygen deprivation.

Currently, only four states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma) authorize execution by nitrogen hypoxia.

In 2023, Louisiana expanded its death penalty methods to include electrocution and nitrogen gas, in addition to lethal injection.

On Tuesday, a group of death penalty opponents held a vigil outside the prison in Angola, Louisiana.

Protesters organized a «Meditation for Peace» and distributed images of Hoffman smiling, according to AP.

The decline in executions in the United States in recent decades is due to legal challenges, drug shortages, and diminished public support for capital punishment.

However, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill indicated that at least four inmates will be executed this year in the state.

Hoffman is the seventh person executed in the United States in 2025.

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