Attorney General Liz Murrill and Corrections Secretary Gary Westhoff hold up a wedding picture of Molly Elliott during a news conference following the execution of Elliott's killer, Jessie Hoffman. Photo credit: Andrew Greenstein
Louisiana has executed its first death row inmate in 15 years.
Jessie Hoffman, 48, was executed Tuesday evening by nitrogen hypoxia after the state and U.S. supreme courts declined to intervene.
“Mr. Hoffman was pronounced deceased by the West Feliciana Parish Corner’s office at approximately 6:50 p.m.,” Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott announced to the media in a news conference following the execution.
On the night before Thanksgiving in 1996, Hoffman kidnapped 28-year-old Molly Elliott at gunpoint from a downtown New Orleans parking garage, forced her to withdraw $200 from an ATM, raped her in the backseat of her own car, and took her to a remote area in St. Tammany Parish and shot her execution-style.
Hunters found Elliott’s naked body the next morning.
Attorney General Liz Murrill said final justice for Elliott’s family and loved ones was long overdue.
“Molly was brutally and mercilessly raped and murdered,” Murrill pointed out. “She was only 28 years old. That was nearly 30 years ago. Tonight, justice was served for Molly Elliott and for the state of Louisiana.”
The execution was not without controversy, as several groups spoke out against the state’s use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution.
Outside the state penitentiary in Angola, a group of death penalty opponents held a vigil.
While Elliott’s sister-in-law spoke out against executing Hoffman, Murrill said other relatives did not feel the same way.
“Molly Elliott’s immediate family members did not oppose this moving forward,” said Murrill. “They’re grateful to have finality.”
Westcott said the execution went flawlessly.
“Nitrogen gas begin to flow at approximately 6:21 p.m. and flowed for approximately 19 minutes,” Westcott said.
Hoffman’s EKG flatlined after 14 minutes, and protocol dictated that the nitrogen gas continue to flow for five additional minutes.
Corrections Chief of Operations Seth Smith, who was a longtime nurse, said he did not see Hoffman suffer in pain during the execution.
“He did have some convulsive activity, and I was told he may have had even some fine motor stuff after that; I personally didn’t see from my angle — nothing that I would say is consistent with pain (and) nothing that I would say is inconsistent with death,” said Smith.
Hoffman’s attorney, Cecelia Kappel, issued a statement following Hoffman’s execution.
“Tonight, the State of Louisiana carried out the senseless execution of Jessie Hoffman. He was a father, a husband, and a man who showed extraordinary capacity for redemption. Jessie no longer bore any resemblance to the 18-year-old who killed Molly Elliot. The State was able to execute him by pushing out a new protocol and setting execution dates to prevent careful judicial review and shrouding the process in secrecy. Four Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court believed that Jessie’s important religious freedom claim warranted a stay to allow their thorough review. Governor Landry says he is doing this for the victims, but we have heard directly from victim family members that killing Jessie will not bring them peace. His execution will cause lasting harm to many. Jessie’s son was a newborn at the time of his trial and has been raised by his father from death row. The prison staff who were forced to kill someone they have grown to care for and protect. And the citizens of Louisiana who have said not in my name. We are better than this.”
Gov. Landry issued a statement of his own.
“It is unfortunate that bad people exist, and they do real bad things. When these acts of violence happen, society must not tolerate it. God is as Just as he is Merciful; and my hope is that when Louisiana empties death row, there will never be another victim whose perpetrator must be placed there. In Louisiana, we will always prioritize victims over criminals, law and order over lawlessness, and justice over the status quo. If you commit heinous acts of violence in this State, it will cost you your life. Plain and simple.”
Murrill noted that there are now 55 inmates on death row in Louisiana, and executions using nitrogen hypoxia will continue.
“Governor Landry and I made a promise to the citizens of Louisiana and the family members of the victims of these heinous crimes that we would put them first,” said Murrill.
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