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Jessie Hoffman Jr.

Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:11:34 AM Wikipedia source

Jessie Dean Hoffman Jr. (September 1, 1978 – March 18, 2025) was an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to death in Louisiana for the 1996 rape and murder of Molly Elliott. On November 26, 1996, Hoffman, then 18, abducted the 28-year-old advertising executive in downtown New Orleans. After forcing her to withdraw money from an ATM at gunpoint, he made her drive to a remote area in St. Tammany Parish, where he raped and murdered her. Hoffman was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on September 11, 1998. He was executed by nitrogen hypoxia on March 18, 2025, marking Louisiana's first execution in over fifteen years and its first use of nitrogen gas. This followed Alabama's use of the method in the executions of four inmates, starting with Kenneth Eugene Smith in January 2024 and ending with Demetrius Terrence Frazier in February 2025. Hoffman's execution became a subject of controversy as his lawyers argued that nitrogen hypoxia, an untested method in Louisiana, violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on "cruel and unusual punishment" and infringed on his religious rights. They also pointed to eyewitness accounts of the previous four nitrogen gas executions from Alabama, where inmates gasped and thrashed, challenging claims of a quick death. Although a federal district judge stayed the execution, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned it, and the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately denied Hoffman's final appeal by a 5–4 majority ruling, leading to Hoffman's execution.

Infobox

Born
(1978-09-01)September 1, 1978Louisiana, U.S.
Died
March 18, 2025(2025-03-18) (aged 46)Louisiana State Penitentiary, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Cause of death
Execution by nitrogen hypoxia
Criminal status
Executed
Motive
RapeRobberyWitness elimination
Conviction
First degree murder
Criminal penalty
Death (September 11, 1998)
Victims
Molly Elliott, aged 28
Date
November 26, 1996
Location
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Imprisoned at
Louisiana State Penitentiary

Tables

· References
Preceded byDemetrius Terrence Frazier – AlabamaFebruary 6, 2025
Preceded byDemetrius Terrence Frazier – AlabamaFebruary 6, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Preceded byDemetrius Terrence Frazier – AlabamaFebruary 6, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Jessie Hoffman Jr. – Louisiana March 18, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Succeeded byGregory Hunt – AlabamaJune 10, 2025
Executions carried out in Louisiana
Executions carried out in Louisiana
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Executions carried out in Louisiana
Preceded byGerald BordelonJanuary 7, 2010
Preceded byGerald BordelonJanuary 7, 2010
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Preceded byGerald BordelonJanuary 7, 2010
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Jessie Hoffman Jr. March 18, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Succeeded bymost recent
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Executions carried out in the United States
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Jessie Hoffman Jr. – Louisiana March 18, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Succeeded byAaron Gunches – ArizonaMarch 19, 2025
Executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the United States
Preceded byDemetrius Terrence Frazier – AlabamaFebruary 6, 2025
Jessie Hoffman Jr. – Louisiana March 18, 2025
Succeeded byGregory Hunt – AlabamaJune 10, 2025
Executions carried out in Louisiana
Preceded byGerald BordelonJanuary 7, 2010
Jessie Hoffman Jr. March 18, 2025
Succeeded bymost recent
Executions carried out in the United States
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Jessie Hoffman Jr. – Louisiana March 18, 2025
Succeeded byAaron Gunches – ArizonaMarch 19, 2025

References

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  100. "Cenla's death row inmates await fate following Jessie Hoffman's execution"
    https://www.kalb.com/2025/03/19/cenlas-death-row-inmates-await-fate-following-jessie-hoffmans-execution/
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