Botched electric chair execution of John Louis Evans III erupts in smoke and burning flesh odor
John Louis Evans III endured a gruesome, multi-stage electrocution at Holman Prison, during which his body smoked and emitted a nauseating smell of burnt flesh before he finally died after three charges.
John Louis Evans III, convicted of a 1977 murder spree, faced execution in Alabama’s Holman Prison using the rarely used “Yellow Momma” electric chair. When the switch was pulled, his head and left leg began to smolder, and a foul, nauseating smell of burnt flesh filled the witness room. Prison doctors misread a pulse as death after the first shock, prompting a second and then a third charge as his chest continued to rise and fall.
Witnesses reported repeated sparks, flames and thick gray smoke, while Evans’ fists remained clenched throughout. The third voltage surge, delivered after a total of 14 minutes, finally stopped his heart, ending the botched execution. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the reliability and humanity of electrocution as a method of capital punishment.
Why it matters
The execution shows the risks of outdated capital-punishment methods and raises questions about humane treatment of inmates.
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