Alabama executed Jeffery Lee, 49, by lethal injection on Thursday evening at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility, following a three-month delay after a judge blocked the state’s planned use of nitrogen gas for his execution.
Lee was convicted of the 1998 murders of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a pawnshop robbery in Dallas County. Ellis, a well-known Elvis Presley impersonator performing under the stage name “Orion,” and Thompson, his ex-wife and an employee at the store, were fatally shot. A third worker survived by pretending to be dead before calling 911. Lee’s execution was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT and was carried out without further judicial intervention.
Legal challenges and method disputes
Lee’s attorneys argued that Alabama’s decision to switch from nitrogen gas to lethal injection violated a prior agreement, as Lee had elected nitrogen hypoxia in 2018—years before the state developed its protocol. In a 2022 legal settlement, Alabama had agreed not to use lethal injection for Lee’s execution. His legal team also contended that the state’s change in method violated constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
A federal judge blocked the nitrogen execution in June, ruling that Alabama’s nitrogen protocol was unconstitutionally cruel and violated Lee’s Eighth Amendment rights. The state’s attorney general’s office subsequently filed for a new execution date using lethal injection, which was granted.
Lee’s attorneys made a final attempt to halt the execution, citing a 7-5 jury recommendation for life imprisonment without parole, which the trial judge had overridden. They also petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether Alabama could proceed with lethal injection after previously agreeing to nitrogen hypoxia. Both efforts were unsuccessful.
Background on execution methods and controversies
Alabama became the first U.S. state to use nitrogen gas for executions in early 2024. Since then, the state has carried out seven nitrogen executions, with witnesses reporting prolonged periods of heaving, convulsing, and physical distress among the condemned. Critics, including some medical experts and advocacy groups, have argued that nitrogen gas may cause unnecessary suffering and lacks sufficient scientific understanding regarding its effects.
Lethal injection remains the primary execution method in Alabama, though its use has faced scrutiny after past botched procedures. The state has since reviewed and revised its protocols, though concerns about efficacy and humaneness persist.
Timeline of key events
- December 12, 1998: Lee fatally shoots Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a pawnshop robbery in Orrville, Alabama.
- 2018: Lee elects nitrogen hypoxia as his preferred execution method.
- 2022: Alabama agrees in a legal settlement not to use lethal injection for Lee’s execution.
- June 11, 2025: Alabama’s planned nitrogen gas execution of Lee is blocked by a federal judge.
- June 2025: Alabama attorney general’s office files for a new execution date using lethal injection.
- September 2025: Lee’s final legal challenges are denied; execution proceeds by lethal injection on September 11, 2025.