Honk News (New Orleans, LA) – A Louisiana prisoner convicted of raping and murdering a New Orleans woman is set to become the first individual in the state in 15 years to face execution by nitrogen gas.
Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, found guilty in the 1996 rape and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliot, is scheduled for execution via nitrogen hypoxia at the Louisiana State Penitentiary on Tuesday, March 18. His legal team has contested the method as cruel and inhumane, according to reports from The Guardian, Louisiana Luminator, and USA Today.
On Wednesday, March 12, U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick issued a preliminary injunction halting Hoffman’s execution, stating, per NOLA.com, that the public interest and fairness supported pausing the nitrogen hypoxia execution until a full trial could address the issue.
She highlighted potential Eighth Amendment violations due to the method—where a mask delivers pure nitrogen, depriving the inmate of oxygen—referencing distressing executions in Alabama, the only state recently using this technique, as noted by USA Today.
However, a federal appeals court overturned Judge Dick’s decision on Friday, March 14, with a 2-1 ruling lifting the injunction, allowing the nitrogen gas execution to proceed, per the Louisiana Luminator. Nitrogen hypoxia remains controversial; major suppliers like Airgas have prohibited its use for executions, and Louisiana law bans it for pet euthanasia due to animal distress, per The Guardian.
Hoffman’s attorneys argued last week that the method would cause him excessive pain, infringe on his constitutional rights, and exacerbate his claustrophobia and PTSD due to the mask, while also hindering his Buddhist breathing practices, according to NBC News.
Hoffman was convicted for abducting, raping, and murdering 28-year-old Mary “Molly” Elliott in 1996. At 18, he kidnapped her at gunpoint from a New Orleans parking garage before committing the crimes. He received a death sentence in 1998.