Lawyers representing a double murderer are working to delay his execution as a federal lawsuit questions the humaneness of the nitrogen execution method. Jeffery James Lee, 49, was found guilty of killing Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a robbery at Ellis’s pawn shop in 1998. Despite Alabama Governor Kay Ivey setting a June 11 execution date for Lee, his legal team is pushing for a hold due to the ongoing lawsuit challenging the nitrogen method.
The nitrogen gas execution method, which Alabama started using in 2024, involves placing a gas mask over the individual’s face to replace breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, leading to death from oxygen deprivation. This method has been utilized in eight executions nationwide, with seven in Alabama and one in Louisiana.
Lee was convicted of capital murder for the deaths of Ellis and Thompson in 1998. Prosecutors stated that Lee entered Jimmy’s Pawnshop armed with a sawed-off shotgun and fatally shot both Ellis and Thompson. While a jury recommended a life sentence for Lee with a 7-5 vote, a judge ultimately overruled and sentenced him to death. Notably, Alabama discontinued the practice of judicial override in death penalty cases in 2017, preventing judges from disregarding jury sentencing decisions.
