Before Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith was put to death in the world's first nitrogen gas execution, officials predicted that the gas would cause him to lose consciousness in seconds. That wasn't what happened in the death chamber Thursday night. The AP reports that "Smith appeared to remain conscious for several minutes. For at least two minutes, he appeared to shake and writhe on the gurney, sometimes pulling against the restraints." AL.com reports that Smith "breathed heavily, slightly gasping, for approximately seven more minutes."
- 22 minutes. The AP reports that the execution "took about 22 minutes from the time between the opening and closing of the curtains to the viewing room." The official time of death was 8:25pm, 10 minutes after the curtains closed, the Washington Post reports.