Inmate challenges execution by nitrogen gas in Alabama lawsuit

In the United States, specifically Alabama, an inmate on death row, Anthony Boyd, is scheduled for execution in October 2025 using nitrogen hypoxia. This method, which has faced significant legal challenges, involves replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas until the individual suffers asphyxiation. Boyd, along with multiple other inmates, is contesting this execution method through various legal means, arguing that it is unconstitutionally cruel. His lawsuit, filed in July 2025, seeks to prevent his execution by nitrogen and suggests alternative methods like firing squad or medical aid-in-dying. Boyd was convicted in 1995 for his participation in the brutal murder of Gregory Huguley in Talladega, Alabama, where Huguley was kidnapped, and ultimately set on fire by Boyd and his accomplices. The jury at Boyd's trial found him guilty of capital murder and kidnapping, and they recommended a death sentence by a vote of 10-2. In his appeal, Boyd maintains that he was elsewhere at the time of the murder and has consistently sought to prove his innocence. Despite his claims and the challenges against the execution method, legal actions disputing nitrogen hypoxia have not yet succeeded in court. Since Alabama introduced nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution in 2018 as an alternative to lethal injection, it has completed five executions and is preparing for a sixth. Concerns about the method have been raised by witnesses to previous executions who reported alarming movements that may indicate distress. Advocates against the death penalty have criticized the process, highlighting the risks of causing unnecessary suffering, which Boyd's legal team emphasizes in their lawsuit. The state of Alabama, however, continues to assert that the method is painless, with its legal team arguing that the reactions observed during executions were due to involuntary muscle responses rather than distress. This ongoing legal battle demonstrates the larger issues surrounding the death penalty in the United States, including ethical considerations regarding execution methods. As states face challenges obtaining lethal injection drugs due to supply issues and public backlash against botched executions, nitrogen hypoxia has emerged as a contentious alternative. The execution warrant for Boyd may set a significant precedent depending on the outcome of his lawsuit, which is set to be heard in early September 2025.