Alabama executed Geoffrey Todd West on Thursday, killing him with nitrogen gas in the state’s fourth execution so far this year.
West, 50, was convicted of capital murder in the course of a robbery for the 1997 killing of Margaret Parrish Berry in Etowah County.
The execution was marked by the “least movement that we’ve seen” of a person being executed by nitrogen gas, Alabama Department of Corrections commissioner John Hamm said, while denying a change to procedures. He said the execution had gone as expected.
The gas flowed for five minutes past flatline. Hamm said there is always “involuntary movement, and everybody’s different,” noting “a variation of movement” in six nitrogen gas executions the state has completed.
In a final statement released through an attorney, West said “I am sorry,” adding that he has apologized privately to Berry’s family and is “humbled by the forgiveness [Berry’s] son, Will, has extended.” He said he was recently baptized into the Catholic Church and was confirmed “yesterday.”
“I urge everyone, especially young people, to find God. Spend a few moments to consider the two possibilities: this was all a fluke, or there is a Creator and a reason for everything. Your choice will determine where you spend eternity,” he said. “God bless you all.”
A timeline of the execution
The curtains opened at 5:52 p.m. West appeared in the white glare of the execution chamber in a khaki uniform, his legs wrapped in a white sheet. Straps were across his chest like an X, and his wrists were strapped down. He gave a thumbs-up to an attorney in the witness room.
At 5:53 p.m., the reading of the warrant began. West was smiling slightly. When asked to make a last statement in the chamber, he said “No, sir” and shook his head.
A member of the execution team adjusted West’s mask, and West’s spiritual advisor, Patrick Madden, approached with a rosary.
It wasn’t obvious when the gas began to flow. At 5:57 p.m., West’s eyes were closed, and he began breathing more deeply.
His breaths became more rapid, and his hands twitched at 5:58 p.m. At 5:59 p.m., his chest and body shook slightly, and saliva appeared to be visible from his mouth. His eyes opened, and his head lifted slightly and rolled to the side. His pinky finger pointed upward, and his hand balled. By 6 p.m., his eyes were closed and he breathed deeply.
At 6:01 p.m., he continued to take intermittent deep breaths, his mouth opening with each breath. That continued at 6:02 p.m.
At 6:03 p.m., his hand was curled loosely. West took a few breaths in quick succession. He appeared to periodically breathe with a chest twitch up until about 6:07 p.m. After that time, he appeared still. His left hand was curled slightly and seemed to have a blueish cast.
The curtain closed at 6:17 p.m. West’s time of death was 6:22 p.m.
‘Stunned that this is happening’
Margaret Parrish Berry was working at Harold’s Chevron, a convenience store, on the night of her murder, according to a summary of facts in court records.
West had previously been employed at the convenience store, the records say. He was said to have gone to the store with his girlfriend, held Berry at gunpoint and then took $250 from a cookie can where store money was kept. Berry, 33, was shot in the back of the head.
A jury vote of 10-2 recommended his death sentence, and the court adopted that recommendation.
West told the Associated Press by phone that he frequently replays the incident in his mind with regret.
In his last 24 hours, West received visits from a spiritual advisor, his mother, father and stepfather, attorneys and other relatives. He refused meal trays but was seen eating and drinking several things, including Skittles, sausage biscuits, coffee and V8 Splash drinks. His last meal was chicken quesadillas.
Before West’s death, the victim’s son, Will Berry, spoke out against his execution, writing a column and expressing his desire to meet with West to reporters.
He and his wife released a statement about the execution as being “stunned that this is happening.”
“Please convey our condolences to his mother and the rest of his family,” they wrote. “From what we understand, he acted out of character that night. People he grew up with said he was a good person who got off track. We pray that he gains peace when he meets his maker.”
Will Berry was placed on a visitation list for West, but the visit was denied due to a policy barring visits between victims and offenders, an Alabama Department of Corrections spokesperson said via email on Thursday.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall each gave statements following the execution.
“As I expressed in a letter to one of Ms. Berry’s sons, it is my solemn duty as governor to carry out these laws,” Gov. Ivey said. “Tonight, the lawfully imposed death sentence has been carried out, justice has been served, and I pray for healing for all.”
Marshall said West’s execution was an example of the state’s commitment to holding the guilty accountable.
“As a country, we must stand firmly in our beliefs between right and wrong, justice and forgiveness,” Marshall said. “Justice is how we restore peace to the communities they leave behind.”
Death penalty support dwindles as executions go up
Vigils for death penalty opponents also were scheduled around the state for the day of the execution, including near William C. Holman Correctional Facility, where West was executed.
West’s execution was set on the same day as the execution of Blaine Milam in Texas. Milam was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m.
National advocates condemned the executions.
“The truth is that none of these executions are necessary to keep us safe or hold accountable those who have committed terrible crimes. We know this because the vast majority of murder cases do not end with an execution,” Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, said in a news release.
Alabama was the first state to execute someone using nitrogen gas in January 2024. Kenneth Smith’s execution drew condemnation from some experts.
Since then, Alabama has executed five other people using nitrogen gas, including West. Louisiana also used the method for the first time during the execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr. in March. The method is also authorized in Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Florida also has a new law that could potentially allow nitrogen gas executions, according to a report. That permits a method “not deemed unconstitutional” in some circumstances.
The method involves the person being executed breathing nitrogen gas through a face mask until they die. It is often referred to as “nitrogen hypoxia.” Hypoxia means low levels of oxygen.
The nitrogen gas method has faced challenges in court, including recently in Alabama and in Arkansas.
Nationally, executions have spiked this year, reaching their highest total since 2014, according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center. Florida has set a new execution record for the state with 12 executions so far this year.
Another execution is currently scheduled in Florida next week.
Experts have attributed recent upticks to possible explanations, including the Supreme Court taking a less active role in intervening in death penalty cases, the current presidential administration’s support for the use of the death penalty and the use of different methods of execution.
Overall, support for the death penalty has been on the downslope in recent decades, some polls show, with increasing percentages of respondents feeling it is applied unfairly.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR.