Mikal Mahdi

Jeffery Lee breathes ‘sigh of relief’ after Alabama’s nitrogen execution deemed unconstitutional

A death row prisoner whose planned execution on Thursday was suddenly halted became emotional when he learned that a federal court had ruled Alabama’s use of nitrogen gas violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. “It’s like an expected sigh of relief in one aspect, and then you still got to stay and maintain your focus and continue to fight,” Jeffery Lee, who has been on death row for nearly three decades, told NBC News by phone Tuesday. He spoke from the William C....