An individual on death row, Anthony Boyd, was executed in Alabama after being convicted of murder for his involvement in burning Gregory Huguley alive over a $200 drug debt back in 1993. Despite Boyd’s persistent claims of innocence throughout his more than 30 years on death row, the execution proceeded with him maintaining his innocence until the end.
Boyd’s final words before the execution by nitrogen gas were a plea of innocence, expressing his non-participation in the crime. He also emphasized the need for systemic change for true justice. Witnesses reported that Boyd showed physical reactions after the gas was administered, eventually ceasing all movement.
Alabama’s controversial use of nitrogen gas for executions, which began last year, has faced criticism, with the latest critique coming from Reverend Jeff Hood, who witnessed Boyd’s execution and described it as the worst he had seen. Despite Boyd’s request for a firing squad execution and a desire to meet with the state governor, those requests were denied.
The execution method involved Boyd taping the victim’s feet before another individual set him on fire. Despite defense claims of Boyd’s absence at the crime scene, a jury found him guilty by a vote of 10-2, resulting in a death sentence. Even after Boyd’s recent pleas to reverse the sentence, the Alabama Attorney General reiterated the state’s commitment to upholding the law and delivering justice.
Throughout the legal process, Boyd had pursued various avenues to delay justice, but according to the Attorney General, he failed to provide any evidence to contradict the jury’s verdict over the decades.