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Alabama death row inmate’s haunting final words before execution for double murder after 26 years behind bars
An Alabama death row inmate shared a chilling final message before his execution for a double murder.
Jeffery Lee, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:22PM on September 17 at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore after receiving a lethal injection.
Lee had spent more than 25 years on death row after being convicted of killing Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a 1998 robbery at Jimmy's Pawn Shop in Orrville.
Ellis, a well-known Elvis Presley impersonator, owned the store. Lee also tried to kill another employee, Helen King, who survived.
Jeffery Lee's final words
Before his execution, Lee used his final statement to address his loved ones and other inmates.
“All is well," he said. "I just want to say to my family, I love them. To my brothers on life row, I love them."
As the lethal injection began, he reportedly clenched his fists while lying on the gurney.
His spiritual adviser held his feet and appeared to pray as the inmate closed his eyes, the New York Post reported.
The state said Lee declined a final meal, although he ate other food and snacks during the day.
On September 16, the day before his execution, he received 17 visitors and three phone calls. He had six visitors and no phone calls on the day he died.
Nitrogen gas execution was blocked
Lee had originally been scheduled to die by nitrogen hypoxia in June after selecting the method in 2018.
However, the planned execution was halted after federal litigation over Alabama's nitrogen protocol.
District Judge Emily Marks explained that the method was "unconstitutionally cruel and violated the inmate's constitutional rights under the Eighth Amendment".
A new execution date was later set using lethal injection.
Following Lee's execution, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said: "The case against Jeffrey Lee was overwhelming and unambiguous. Today we proved that every innocent life is worth fighting for, no matter how long it takes."
Alabama first used nitrogen gas in 2024
Alabama became the first state to carry out an execution using nitrogen hypoxia when Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death in January 2024.
Smith had spent more than three decades behind bars for the murder of Elizabeth Sennett, who suffered eight fatal stab wounds to her chest and two to her neck.
Prosecutors said Smith was one of two men each paid $1,000 by Elizabeth's husband, Charles Sennett, a pastor at the Westside Church of Christ in Sheffield, Alabama, to kill her.
Smith acknowledged taking part in the attack but denied intending to kill Elizabeth.
An attempt to execute him by lethal injection in November 2022 was abandoned after officials were unable to find the necessary intravenous lines.
He was brought back to the execution chamber on January 25, 2024, when a mask was placed over his face and nitrogen gas was administered.
One of the journalists who witnessed Smith's death, Lee Hedgepeth, later described what he saw.
"I've been to four previous executions and I've never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas," Hedgepeth told BBC. "Kenny just began to gasp for air repeatedly and the execution took about 25 minutes total."
Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said the movements witnessed during the execution were expected.
Following Smith's death, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said: "After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes. I pray that Elizabeth Sennett's family can receive closure after all these years dealing with that great loss."
Elizabeth's son, Mike Sennett, said the execution could not undo what had happened to his family.
"Nothing happened here today that’s going to bring Mom back. It's kind of a bittersweet day. We're not going to be jumping around, hooting and hollering 'hooray' and all that. That's not us. But we're glad this day is over," he said at a press conference.
"The Bible says evil deeds have consequences - and Kenneth Smith made some bad decisions 35 years ago - and his debt was paid tonight," he added.