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Kenneth Eugene Smith: A Controversial Figure in American Criminal Justice
Kenneth Eugene Smith (July 4, 1965 – January 25, 2024) was an American criminal convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett in Colbert County, Alabama. His case became highly controversial due to the circumstances of the crime, his execution by nitrogen hypoxia (the first of its kind in the US), and the ongoing debate surrounding capital punishment.
Conviction and Execution:
Smith was hired by Charles Sennett Sr., Elizabeth's husband, to kill her. He carried out the murder on March 18, 1988.
After a lengthy legal battle, Smith was sentenced to death in 1991. He exhausted his appeals, including a final one to the Supreme Court in 2023.
On January 25, 2024, Smith was executed by nitrogen hypoxia at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. This marked the first time this method of execution was used in the United States.
Controversy:
Smith's case sparked debate due to the involvement of a pastor (Charles Sennett Sr.) in orchestrating his wife's murder.
The use of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method was also controversial, with some raising concerns about its ethics and effectiveness.
Smith's execution was the first in the US since October 2020, and it reignited the broader debate surrounding capital punishment.