Supreme Court blocks Alabama's nitrogen hypoxia execution bid

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Alabama's emergency request to execute Jeffery Lee by nitrogen hypoxia after two lower courts blocked the method; the unsigned order provided no explanation, though Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch dissented. Alabama has used nitrogen gas in several executions since 2024, but a federal judge recently banned the method due to evidence of distress, and Lee, 49, who was to be executed at 6 pm local time, had his scheduled execution halted.