Death by Cyanide Gas- Survival time? 8-10 minutes
History and Application
- The use of a gas chamber was inspired by the use of poisonous gas in World War 1.
- Nevada become the first State to adopt execution by lethal gas in 1924, and carried out its first execution by said means in 1924.
- Lethal gas was seen as an improvement over other forms of execution, as it was less violent and did not disfigure or mutilate the body.
- The last execution by lethal gas took place in Arizona in 1999
Procedure
- The jurisdiction protocol authorizes the use of a steel airtight execution chamber, equipped with a chair and attached restraints.
- The inmate will wear a mask during the execution.
- There will be cyanide pellets placed in a container under the seat, and this is placed in a sulfuric acid solution.
- Three executioners are tasked with each turning a separate key, which causes the cyanide pellets to be released into the sulfuric acid.
- This then releases the lethal gas into the chamber.
- If the inmate takes deep breathes, un-consciousness will occur. If they hold their breathe, the process takes longer and they may suffer wild convulsions in the interim.