A select group witnessed the nitrogen execution in Alabama. This is what they saw.
Marty Roney, a longtime reporter for The Montgomery Advertiser, had witnessed two previous executions. This time, he said, there was a strong smell of disinfectant in the dimly lit viewing room as five journalists and Mr. Smith's relatives were led inside. Part of his job would be to keep track of elapsed time, if he could.
The room is probably 8 by 12 [feet], with 13 folding chairs – it's tight. In front of the media room there is a large glass window through which you can look into the death chamber. The five of us [reporters] decided to divide the tasks. … My job was: if I found the clock, I would keep the clock.
In another witness room were two sons of the murder victim, Mike and Chuck Sennett, as well as their wives, a friend and another relative of Mrs. Sennett.
Mike Sennett said there were also two people he didn't know; he thought they were prison officials from another state. In 2010, the family attended the lethal injection execution of John Parkerwho was also convicted of murdering his mother.
We went to Parker's execution and it was like he was going to sleep. We didn't know what to expect with this. My anxiety grew throughout the day wondering what was going to happen.
Kim Chandler, a reporter with The Associated Press, wrote an account of what she saw when the curtains were drawn open at 7:53 p.m
Smith, who was wearing a tan prison uniform, was already strapped to the gurney and draped in a white sheet. A blue-rimmed breathing mask covered his face from forehead to chin. It had a clear face shield and plastic tubing that appeared to connect through an opening to the adjacent control room.
Another media witness, Ralph Chapoco from The Alabama reflectorwrote that Mr. Smith appeared to be trying to reassure his relatives.
From the moment the curtain rose and throughout the time corrections staff read the death warrant, Kenneth Eugene Smith never took his eyes off his supporters or the members of his family. … He scanned their faces one by one, smiled at each of them, and made several gestures with his fingers that meant, “I love you.” He looked into the eyes of one person, smiled, then moved on to the next person, smiled, and then moved on to the next person.