Louisiana Executes Jessie Hoffman Using Controversial Nitrogen Gas Method

The execution marks Louisiana's first in 15 years and the state's adoption of nitrogen gas, a method criticized for its potential inhumanity and constitutional concerns.

Jessie Hoffman Jr., convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Mary 'Molly' Elliott, was executed at the Louisiana State Penitentiary on March 18, 2025, using nitrogen gas.
This was Louisiana's first execution since 2010 and the first time the state employed nitrogen gas, making it only the fifth such execution in the U.S., following Alabama's precedent.
Hoffman's attorneys argued the method violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and infringed on his Buddhist religious practices during his final moments.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, allowing the execution to proceed despite legal challenges and concerns raised by human rights organizations and legal experts.
Critics point to distressing accounts from previous nitrogen gas executions in Alabama, citing visible signs of suffering, and question the method's humanity and compliance with constitutional protections.