UPDATE: A death row inmate in Alabama faced a horrifying fate during his execution on May 12, 2023, when a malfunction turned the process into a nightmare. John Louis Evans III, 33, caught fire after an electric chair strap broke, engulfing him in flames and emitting the horrific smell of “burning flesh.”
Evans, sentenced to death in 1983 for the murder of pawnbroker Edward Nassar, had been heard laughing in a holding cell just 25 feet from the execution chamber. He told a prison chaplain he was “ready for death” if the Supreme Court did not intervene. However, when strapped into the electric chair, known as ‘Yellow Mama’, the execution quickly spiraled out of control.
As the first surge of 1,900 volts was administered, the strap on the electrode attached to Evans’ left leg broke. Sparks and flames erupted, and smoke poured from beneath the hood covering his head, filling the chamber with a “pungent odour of burning flesh and clothing.” Despite the initial shock, doctors found that Evans was still alive.
In a disturbing turn of events, a second 30-second jolt was delivered, causing flames to flicker around his head and more smoke to escape from the electrode cap fastened to his skull. Witnesses described his body convulsing violently, fists clenched in agony. Russell Canan, Evans’ lawyer, urgently pleaded for the execution to stop, denouncing it as “cruel and unusual punishment” and “torture… in the name of vengeance disguised as justice.”
Despite the pleas, the execution continued. Governor George Wallace declined to intervene, and Evans was strapped back into the chair for a third round. After another surge, he finally ceased breathing. Medics pronounced him dead at 8:44 PM, a harrowing 14 minutes after the execution began.
Prison officials described the event as “barbaric,” and many have since criticized the use of electrocution. The execution has sparked a fierce debate over capital punishment, with opponents arguing that it fails to ensure a “quick, clean death.”
Evans’ case has reignited discussions about the morality of such methods. Eddie Nassar, the 73-year-old father of Evans’ victim, expressed a complex mix of emotions, emphasizing the need for strict laws. “We gotta have laws. We have to follow the laws of God, and we have to follow our laws,” he stated. “If they let him live, he’s going to come back and kill.”
As the debate unfolds, the shocking details of this execution raise urgent questions about the future of capital punishment in the United States. Watch for further developments as officials respond to the fallout from this tragic incident.