Killing of Jessie Hoffman Jr for 1996 rape and murder of Mary Elliott is state’s first execution in 15 years

Louisiana has carried out its first execution using nitrogen gas, an experimental method for judicial killings that has only been used by one other death-penalty state.

Jessie Hoffman Jr, 46, was executed at the Louisiana state penitentiary at Angola shortly after 7pm local time on Tuesday evening. He had been convicted of the 1996 rape and murder in New Orleans of Mary Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive.