US Supreme Court denies appeal; Jessie Hoffman set to be executed in Louisiana’s first execution since 2010

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana death row inmate Jessie Hoffman remains scheduled for execution Tuesday evening, but legal challenges continue to unfold as his attorneys seek a last-minute stay from the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to state penitentiary warden Darrel Vannoy, Hoffman will be executed between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary will hold a press conference after the planned execution, where state officials and Hoffman’s lawyers are expected to speak. The press conference will be streamed live in this article.

Legal challenges to execution

Hoffman, 46, was sentenced to death for the 1996 kidnapping and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott in New Orleans. If carried out, Hoffman’s execution would be Louisiana’s first since 2010, when Gerald Bordelon was put to death by lethal injection. He was originally scheduled for lethal injection, but in 2012, he filed a lawsuit arguing that the penalty was unconstitutional. The state also struggled to obtain the necessary drugs, and the case was dismissed in 2022.

In 2024, the Louisiana Legislature passed a new law allowing execution by nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution, paving the way for Hoffman’s execution under this new method.

His attorneys have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, arguing that:

• Nitrogen hypoxia violates the Eighth Amendment by causing extreme psychological suffering.
• The method infringes on Hoffman’s religious rights as a Buddhist, preventing him from engaging in meditative breathing at the time of death.

The Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling, but if it grants a stay of execution, the process will be delayed indefinitely while legal arguments continue.

State pushes forward with execution

Attorney General Liz Murrill has pushed back against the legal challenges, stating that Louisiana’s nitrogen gas protocol follows Alabama’s method, which has been upheld in four previous cases.

“Alabama has already done this four times using nitrogen hypoxia, and every one of its cases has run up through the Supreme Court of the United States,” Murrill said. “The Supreme Court declined to intervene, which allowed Alabama to proceed. We expect that same decision. Tomorrow, justice will finally be served for Mary ‘Molly’ Elliott.”

A temporary restraining order (TRO) was granted Monday, preventing the execution from proceeding until at least 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Murrill said her office plans to seek relief from the Louisiana Supreme Court if necessary.

“Attorneys for Mr. Hoffman continue to file pleadings in an attempt to see what will stick. We’ll continue to address them as they come, however, I expect the execution to go forward as planned,” Murrill said.

What happens next?

• The U.S. Supreme Court could issue a ruling at any time before the execution is scheduled to proceed.
• The press conference at 4:45 p.m. will provide further updates from state officials and Hoffman’s legal team.
• If the Supreme Court denies Hoffman’s request, Louisiana could move forward with the execution Tuesday evening. If the stay is granted, the process will be delayed indefinitely.

Louisiana First News will continue to provide live updates from the press conference and legal proceedings.

Latest News