Louisiana executes death row inmate Jessie Hoffman using nitrogen gas

BATON ROUGE, La. (WGMB) — Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed Tuesday evening that Louisiana had carried out the execution of death row inmate Jessie Hoffman.

Hoffman was scheduled for execution Tuesday evening as legal challenges continued to unfold as his attorneys sought a last-minute stay from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declined to intervene, voting 5-4 against the appeal on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary held a news conference after the execution, during which state officials spoke.

According to the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections Gary Westcott, Hoffman was pronounced dead by the West Feliciana Parish Coroner’s Office at 6:50 p.m. by nitrogen hypoxia.

Hoffman declined a final meal, Westcott said.

“Tonight, justice was served for Mary ‘Molly’ Elliot and for the state of Louisiana,” said Murrill. “Gov. 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 and that we would follow the law.”

Gov. Jeff Landry released a statement after Hoffman’s execution.

“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.”

Gov. Jeff Landry

Legal challenges to Jessie Hoffman execution

Hoffman, 46, was sentenced to death for the 1996 kidnapping and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott in New Orleans. Hoffman’s execution was Louisiana’s first since 2010, when Gerald Bordelon was put to death by lethal injection. He was originally scheduled for lethal injection, but in 2012, he filed a lawsuit arguing that the penalty was unconstitutional. The state also struggled to obtain the necessary drugs, but the case was ultimately dismissed in 2022.

In 2024, the Louisiana Legislature passed a new law allowing execution by nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution, paving the way for Hoffman’s execution under this new method.

His attorneys petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, arguing that:

• Nitrogen hypoxia violates the Eighth Amendment by causing extreme psychological suffering.
• The method infringes on Hoffman’s religious rights as a Buddhist, preventing him from engaging in meditative breathing at the time of death.

State pushes forward with Jesse Hoffman execution

Murrill pushed back against the legal challenges, stating that Louisiana’s nitrogen gas protocol follows Alabama’s method, which has been upheld in four previous cases.

“Alabama has already done this four times using nitrogen hypoxia, and every one of its cases has run up through the Supreme Court of the United States,” Murrill said. “The Supreme Court declined to intervene, which allowed Alabama to proceed. We expect that same decision. Tomorrow, justice will finally be served for Mary ‘Molly’ Elliott.”

A temporary restraining order was granted Monday, preventing the execution from proceeding until at least 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Murrill said her office planned to seek relief from the Louisiana Supreme Court if necessary.

“Attorneys for Mr. Hoffman continue to file pleadings in an attempt to see what will stick. We’ll continue to address them as they come; however, I expect the execution to go forward as planned,” Murrill said.

What happens next?

Murrill announced this is the first successful execution and that the state intends to continue to carry out more executions, pending litigation.

“I, along with my office, remain committed to ensuring justice is carried out in all the death penalty cases,” said Murrill.