Summary

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Supers/Fonts:

Story Location: Omaha

State/Province: Nebraska

Shot Date: 01/28/2024

URL: https://www.wowt.com/2024/01/29/nebraska-legislature-consider-nitrogen-hypoxia-capital-punishment/

Notes and Restrictions:

Newsource Notes:

Story Description:
Elements:
WOWT FILE vo of Carey Dean Moore about to be put to death, WOWT FILE vo of the Nebraska execution table with straps, sots from
Nebraska state senator Loren Lippincott, WOWT FILE vo showing INT of a Nebraska prison, mug shot of Kenneth Eugene Smith/courtesy Alabama Dept of Corrections, reaction from Melissa Harris - the mother of murder victim Amber Harris, WOWT FILE of Amber Harris - including her pic and school bus surveillance video - all WOWT FILE, more WOWT FILE of the location where Amber was found deceased, WOWT FILE vo of Amber's killer, Roy Ellis



Wire/StoryDescription:
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Last week, the state of Alabama carried out a first-of-its-kind execution. Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death for a murder-for-hire killing in 1988, and his death marks the first to ever use nitrogen gas.

Alabama is one of just three states that has legalized the nitrogen hypoxia method for death to inmates, but Nebraska may soon be added to that list.

The last inmate to be put to death by the state of Nebraska is Carey Dean Moore; he robbed and killed two Omaha cab drivers in 1979.

His death by the state was more than five years ago now.


Moore was the first Nebraska inmate to die by lethal injection, which is now the sole method of execution in the state.

But Nebraska state senator Loren Lippincott is seeking to change that.

The drugs that are used stateside are made by companies, some of which, refuse to sell those products to our correctional facilities, our prisons, he says.

Lippincott also has concerns about international drugs for lethal injection coming from China, as well as concerns about botched lethal injection procedures.


However, Lippincott points to a solution.

Nitrogen eliminates and addresses those issues, he states.

Lippincott introduced LB970; a bill that would add nitrogen hypoxia to Nebraskas list of methods for capital punishment.

Its only ever been used in Kenneth Eugene Smiths sentence.


The death penalty is the will of the Nebraska people. They voted for it in 2016, its not me, its not us, its not the legislature. Its the will of the people, and we need to honor that. Its law, Lippincott says. So what we need to do is, we need to do it in the most humane and effective way possible.

But that isnt a concern for everyone.

Humanely? What did they do to their victims? That wasnt humane, says Melissa Harris.

I think people who think lets have it humanely probably have not gone through what the families have gone through, she adds.


Melissas daughter, Amber, was murdered in 2005.

At 12 years old, Amber Harris disappeared after getting off the school bus.

I always tried to have hope, but Ambers not one that would stay away from home. I was making her favorite meal that night. I knew shed come home, Melissa says. I knew something was wrong the next day.

It was six months before Ambers remains were found buried in Hummel Park.


Her killer, Roy Ellis, was a sex offender who lived near the Harris. Ellis has now sat on death row for nearly 20 years.

At one point in time, before all this, I grew up in a wonderful little town and had never been around violence, let alone murder, says Melissa. So, I never really thought much about [the death penalty]. But as I get older, and I think of him sitting in there. Im retired now, but thats people, good taxpayers money. I realize it has to run the prison system. But, not for him to still sit in there and be comfortable.

Melissa is grateful and supportive of Lippincotts proposal and would like to see it pass.

If it does, shes hopeful there wont be more obstacles in the capital punishment process.


Its time, its time to move forward. Yeah, I may not see it in my lifetime, but my children will and I have them to be grateful for because they have said theyll be there if this ever happens. But its time to move forward.

After Lippincotts proposal of LB970, an Omaha senator amended the bill.

Instead of nitrogen hypoxia, Senator Megan Hunt is suggesting a legislative firing squad, which, according to the amendment, means a firing squad composed of all members of the Legislature, who shall use firearms to shoot the convicted person.

Hunt is an opponent of the death penalty, and Lippincott says everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but maintains that the death penalty was reinstated by Nebraska voters in 206 after the legislature abolished it the year before.


6 News reached out to Hunt for comment but did not receive a response.


WOWT 6 News 10 p.m. Sunday newscast
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.



Station Notes/Scripts:
Script:

{ANCHOR INTRO}

ALABAMA CARRIED OUT A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND EXECUTION ON THURSDAY USING NITROGEN GAS.

RIGHT NOW - ONLY THREE STATES HAVE LEGALIZED THIS METHOD FOR DEATH ROW INMATES

BUT AS MARLO LUNDAK REPORTS, NEBRASKA MAY JOIN THEM.

{PKG}

CAREY DEAN MOORE IS THE LAST INMATE TO BE PUT TO DEATH BY THE STATE OF NEBRASKA.

THAT WAS MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO.

NEBRASKA'S METHOD OF EXECUTION IS LETHAL INJECTION.

STATE SENATOR LOREN LIPPINCOTT OF CENTRAL NEBRASKA WANTS TO CHANGE THAT.



LIPPINCOT SAYS THERE IS A SOLUTION.



HE'S INTRODUCED A BILL THAT WOULD ADD NITROGEN HYPOXIA TO NEBRASKA'S LIST FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT..

THAT WAS THE METHOD IN LAST WEEK'S EXECUTION OF KENNETH EUGENE SMITH IN ALABAMA.



BUT THAT ISN'T A CONCERN FOR EVERYONE.



MELISSA HARRIS' DAUGHTER WAS MURDERED IN 2005.

AT 12-YEARS-OLD, AMBER HARRIS DISAPPEARED AFTER GETTING OFF THE SCHOOL BUS.



AMBER'S REMAINS WERE FOUND BURIED IN HUMMEL PARK 6 MONTHS LATER.

AND HER KILLER, ROY ELLIS, HAS NOW SAT ON DEATH ROW FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS.



HARRIS IS GRATEFUL FOR LIPPINCOTT'S PROPOSAL AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT PASS.

IF IT DOES.. SHE'S HOPEFUL THERE WON'T BE MORE OBSTACLES IN THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT PROCESS.



{TAG}

AFTER SENATOR LIPPINCOTT'S BILL PROPOSAL... SENATOR MEGAN HUNT OF OMAHA SUBMITTED AN AMENDMENT TO IT.

INSTEAD OF NITROGEN HYPOXIA -- SHE SUGGESTS A 'LEGISLATIVE FIRING SQUAD' -- IT WOULD REQUIRE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE TO PHYSICALLY CARRY OUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT THEMSELVES.

HUNT IS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY -- AND LIPPINCOTT SAYS EVERYONE IS ENTILITED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS -- BUT MAINTAINS THAT THE DEATH PENALTY WAS REINSTATED BY NEBRASKA VOTERS.

6 NEWS REACHED OUT TO SENATOR HUNT'S OFFICE FOR COMMENT, BUT DID NOT GET A RESPONSE.

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