He looked calm on the outside — but inside, Kenneth Smith was quietly breaking.
After 35 years on death row, the 58-year-old faced a fate no human had ever endured. On January 25, inside Alabama’s Holman Correctional Facility, Smith became the first person executed by nitrogen hypoxia — a method that left many questioning, “Is this really humane?”
His pastor, John Ewell, stayed by his side until the end. “He’s being strong for his family, but it’s rough,” Ewell said softly. Smith prayed often, clinging to his faith as he tried to accept how his life would end. “He’s a Godly man, and he loves Jesus — but this would be hard on anybody,” the pastor added.
In his final hours, Smith refused breakfast and lunch, sipping only Mountain Dew and Pepsi. His last meal was simple — steak, hash browns, and eggs. Before the mask was placed over his face, he spoke one last time to his wife, Deanna.
At 8:25 p.m., the air stopped carrying oxygen. Twenty-two minutes later, his life was gone — and a haunting question lingered: Did Alabama just cross a line that can never be uncrossed?
