Micah Green/Reuters
A spiritual adviser to Kenneth Smith, the murderer who became the first death row inmate in the world to be executed with nitrogen gas Thursday night, broke down in tears describing the “horror show” execution in Alabama.
Rev. Jeff Hood attended the highly contentious execution of 58-year-old Smith, which lasted around 22 minutes from beginning to end, according to the Associated Press. The wire service reported that Smith shook and writhed on the gurney for at least two minutes as the gas flowed, sometimes attempting to pull on his restraints.
Hood became emotional as he described the execution as “the most horrible thing I think I’ve ever seen” in a CNN interview, a video of which was shared online by nonprofit The Woods Foundation. “We prayed together, we were able to spend time together briefly,” Hood said. He added that he told Smith he loved him and made the sign of the cross “letting him know that he’s not alone.”