ATMORE, Ala. — The following is a direct press release from the office of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey following Thursday night's execution of a Colbert County man convicted in the 1988 slaying of Elizabeth Sennett:
After the U.S. Supreme Court legally cleared the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith to move forward, Governor Ivey told Corrections Commissioner John Hamm that she would not exercise her clemency powers in this case and directed him to proceed with Mr. Smith’s lawfully imposed death sentence for the 1988 capital murder of Elizabeth Sennett.
Governor Ivey issued the following statement:
“On March 18, 1988, 45-year-old Elizabeth Sennett’s life was brutally taken from her by Kenneth Eugene Smith. After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr. Smith has answered for his horrendous crimes.
“The execution was lawfully carried out by nitrogen hypoxia, the method previously requested by Mr. Smith as an alternative to lethal injection. At long last, Mr. Smith got what he asked for, and this case can finally be put to rest.
“I pray that Elizabeth Sennett’s family can receive closure after all these years dealing with that great loss.” – Governor Kay Ivey
Time of Death: 8:25 p.m.
More on the execution can be found at this link.
Following confirmation of Smith's death, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall offered the following statement:
"Justice has been served. Tonight, Kenneth Smith was put to death for the heinous act he committed over 35 years ago: the murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett, an innocent woman who was by all accounts a godly wife, a loving mother and grandmother, and a beloved pillar of her community.
"I ask the people of Alabama to join me in praying for Elizabeth’s family and friends, that they might now better be able to find long-awaited peace and closure.
"Alabama has achieved something historic. Like most states, Alabama has made the judgment that some crimes are so horrific that they warrant the ultimate penalty. But anti-death-penalty activists have worked to nullify that moral judgment through pressure campaigns against anyone assisting states in the process. They don’t care that Alabama’s new method is humane and effective, because they know it is also easy to carry out. Despite the international effort by activists to undermine and disparage our state's justice system and to deny justice to the victims of heinous murders, our proven method offers a blueprint for other states and a warning to those who would contemplate shedding innocent blood. This is an important night for Liz Sennett’s family, for justice, and for the rule of law in our great nation."