During the execution, Smith was observed to shake and writhe on the gurney, occasionally pulling on the restraints for a duration of at least two minutes. This was followed by several minutes of heavy breathing before he was finally pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. local time, as reported by The Associated Press.

Rev. Jeff Hood, who served as Smith’s spiritual adviser, expressed his distress, describing the execution as an act of “torture.” Having witnessed five executions in the past 13 months, Hood stated that this was the most horrific sight he had ever witnessed. He tearfully recounted the suffocation of an individual before his eyes.

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