An inmate on death row endured a botched execution when a strap on the electric chair broke, engulfing him in flames and emitting a smell of burning flesh. John Louis Evans III, 33, was executed in Alabama in 1983 for the murder of pawnbroker Edward Nassar during a robbery in 1977.

Prior to his execution, Evans displayed a sense of readiness for death, even laughing in a holding cell near the death chamber. Once strapped into the electric chair nicknamed ‘Yellow Mama,’ a strap on the electrode attached to his left leg snapped during the initial jolt of 1,900 volts, causing sparks and flames.

Smoke and sparks emerged from the chamber, accompanied by a strong odor of burning flesh and clothing. Despite the mishap, Evans was found to be still alive after the first jolt. A second jolt was administered, resulting in small flames on his head and more smoke. Witnesses described his body convulsing in apparent agony.

Evans’ lawyer protested the cruel and unusual punishment, calling the execution torture under the guise of justice. Despite pleas to stop the procedure, the execution continued. After a third round of electrocution, Evans finally ceased breathing and was pronounced dead at 8:44 pm, 14 minutes after the ordeal began.

The barbarity of the execution was condemned by prison guards and officials, who noted the unprecedented malfunction of the electric chair. The incident reignited the debate on the inhumanity of electrocution as a method of execution, with opponents citing Evans’ suffering as evidence of its flaws.

Family members of the victim expressed the necessity of following the laws and seeking justice through the legal system. Eddie Nassar, the father of the slain pawnbroker, emphasized the importance of upholding the law and expressed his belief in the necessity of carrying out the death penalty for justice to prevail.