While all inmates on Death Row face the same fate, the methods of execution vary significantly in their severity and pain.
Last year, 25 men across nine states were executed for serious crimes, including murder.
In the U.S., several execution methods are used, but the majority, around 1,000 since the 1970s, involve lethal injection—a procedure using a three-drug combination that sedates the person before inducing cardiac arrest.
However, due to a number of problematic executions that resulted in prolonged suffering, some older methods have slowly re-emerged in the 27 states that still utilize the death penalty.
Previously, the most common method was the electric chair, which delivers a jolt of 2,000 volts to the nervous system.
Earlier this year, Alabama executed Brad Sigmon by firing squad, a method over 400 years old where officers shoot an inmate’s chest. Sigmon’s case marked the first firing squad execution in the U.S. in 15 years.
Experts and witnesses have described the most brutal methods of execution.
Firing Squad
Last month, in South Carolina, Brad Sigmon was strapped into a chair, a target placed on his chest. Guards restrained his head and obscured his face with a hood while sandbags were positioned around him to absorb blood. Three officers, standing about 20 feet away, simultaneously shot Sigmon in the chest; he was pronounced dead three minutes later.
Sigmon, 67, was the first American to face execution by firing squad in that long a time.
A few weeks later, Mikal Mahdi from South Carolina faced a similar fate after opting for firing squad over other methods. Reports indicate he endured significant groans of pain before he was declared dead shortly after.
Since its inception in 1608, roughly 142 people have faced execution by firing squad in the U.S.
The modern procedure involves officers firing through a small opening while the inmate is restrained and has their head covered. Some experts argue that this may actually be one of the quicker execution methods, leading to rapid unconsciousness.
Dr. James Williams, an expert on the subject, noted that the immediate loss of blood pressure could lead to unconsciousness very quickly. However, a South Carolina court has deemed it could be torturous due to the potential for severe cardiac injury.
Firing squads remain legal in states like Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah, where inmates can often choose their method.
Nitrogen Gas
This particular method has been labeled ‘torture’ by the United Nations.
Nitrogen hypoxia suffocates the individual by flooding their system with nitrogen. Inmates are restrained and forced to breathe this gas, which can result in suffocation despite its natural occurrence in the atmosphere.
While some authorities claim this method leads to loss of consciousness and organ failure within minutes, critics argue it can inflict immense pain and humiliation.
There have been reports of inmates potentially choking or entering vegetative states, which raises serious ethical concerns.
Kenneth Smith of Alabama became the first person executed via nitrogen gas, experiencing significant distress during the process, which drew criticism internationally.
Since then, several more inmates have opted for this method, raising alarms about the reliability of the equipment used and the potential for a prolonged, painful death.
Lethal Injection
As the most common method in the U.S., lethal injection has been carried out 1,377 times since the late 1970s.
The process generally involves strapping the inmate to a gurney, inserting needles into their veins, and administering a cocktail of chemicals intended to sedate, paralyze, and induce cardiac arrest.
However, ethical questions have arisen regarding the experience of the inmate during the procedure, especially if they are not fully unconscious. Some experts have reported signs of distress among inmates during executions.
The yields from potassium chloride can lead to excruciating sensations, and the entire procedure is not always executed smoothly; instances of botched executions can drag on for an extended period.
The most recent lethal injection took place in Florida in May 2025, during which the inmate demonstrated notable distress and spasms before dying.
Hanging
Once the prevalent method, hanging is now only legal in Washington state and was most recently used in 1996.
Typically, the process involves careful calculations to determine the drop height to ensure a swift death, but miscalculations can lead to suffering.
Harold Hillman, an execution expert, has called it a harsh method that can lead to agonizing pain if the drop isn’t calculated precisely.
Electric Chair
Transitioning from hanging, the electric chair became common around the same time that lethal injection began to gain popularity.
The first execution by electric chair in 1890 did not provide the painless death it promised, with the horrific experience often witnessed by those present.
This method is currently legal in nine states, but it’s no longer the primary method of execution. The last recorded use was in Tennessee in 2020.
Overall, methods of execution in the U.S. reflect deep moral and ethical complexities, raising questions about human rights and the nature of punishment.
