Why It Matters
Alabama carried out its first execution of 2026 this week, marking the continuation of capital punishment in a state that has emerged as one of the nation’s most active in carrying out death sentences. The execution raises ongoing questions about lethal injection protocols and the state’s use of alternative methods.
What Happened
Jeremy Williams, 41, was executed by lethal injection Thursday for the 2021 sexual assault and murder of a 5-year-old girl. Williams had waived his appeals, allowing the execution to proceed without extended legal proceedings.
Media witnesses present at the execution reported observing Williams blink and move his head side to side, move his lips, smile, and convulse slightly before taking deep breaths and ceasing to breathe.
Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey offered a stark contrast to Williams’ final statement, in which Williams told the Alabama Reflector, “I want to thank God for forgiving me for my sins so I can meet him in peace. Goodnight.” Chancey told observers, “The baby didn’t die in peace. She didn’t close her eyes and say, ‘I can meet my maker in peace.’ That baby was brutally killed.”
By the Numbers
41 — Williams’ age at execution
5 — Age of victim at time of death
2021 — Year of the murder
13 — Total executions carried out by Alabama since 2023
7 — Of those 13, executed by nitrogen gas
Zoom Out
Alabama has become a leading state in carrying out capital punishment in recent years. The state executed five inmates in 2025, matching the total for Texas and South Carolina. Florida led the nation during that period with 19 executions.
Alabama’s execution methods have drawn scrutiny. The state has attempted to use nitrogen gas as an execution method, which it employed in seven of its 13 executions since 2023. That approach faced a legal challenge when a federal court ruled in June that the nitrogen gas protocol constituted cruel and unusual punishment, forcing a shift back to lethal injection for at least one pending case.
Current Legal Challenges
Governor Kay Ivey commuted the sentence of Charles “Sonny” Burton to life in prison in March, months before his scheduled nitrogen gas execution for a 1991 AutoZone robbery death. Burton’s commutation came after review showed he did not kill the victim—Derrick DeBruce, who was responsible and died in prison in 2020, had his sentence similarly commuted to life.
Jeffery Lee, sentenced to death for two killings in a 1998 Orrville pawn shop robbery, initially had his nitrogen gas execution scheduled for June. After the federal court ruling on that method, Lee’s execution was rescheduled for lethal injection in September.
What’s Next
Alabama has at least one more execution scheduled before year’s end. Legal challenges to execution protocols continue, with federal courts examining whether alternative methods meet constitutional standards. The state’s heavy reliance on capital punishment will likely face continued scrutiny from death penalty opponents and civil rights organizations.