Following the death of Jessie Hoffman Jr.—Louisiana’s first nitrogen gas execution—family members of both the executed death row inmate and Mary ‘Molly’ Elliott, the woman Hoffman was convicted of raping and killing, made comments Tuesday evening.
In the first execution the state has seen in fifteen years, Hoffman was executed at Angola on Tuesday night. Hoffman employed a contentious and mainly unproven technique to breathe in pure nitrogen gas through a mask until his heart stopped due to oxygen deprivation.
Two years after he kidnapped 28-year-old advertising executive Elliott and killed her by shooting her in rural St. Tammany Parish, Hoffman was sentenced to death in 1998. Molly’s husband, Andy Elliott, expressed his conflicting feelings prior to the execution, stating in a statement that he would not find peace in Hoffman’s passing.
Jessie Hoffman was executed by the state of Louisiana tonight, shamefully the first execution in the state since 2010. This is the first execution using nitrogen hypoxia in a state other than Alabama. No matter the method, the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman, and… pic.twitter.com/sNMFFYFg3Y
— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) March 19, 2025
Additionally, Kate Murphy, Molly’s sister-in-law, made a last-minute appeal to Louisiana government representatives, requesting that they give Hoffman a reprieve and allow her to meet with him. The request was turned down.
Hoffman’s family, including his sister Florence Ruffin and wife Ilona Hoffman, paid him visits in the final hours before his execution. Hoffman’s family was not there when he was executed.
This is what each side had to say.
Andy Elliott
“Hoffman’s execution is bittersweet news for myself and for Molly’s and my families. There is relief that this long nightmare is finally over, but also renewed grief for Molly and sadness for Mr. Hoffman’s family, whose nightmare began when mine did and who’ve also had to go through nearly 30 years of this gut-wrenching process through no fault of their own.”
She expressed optimism that this case would contribute to significant change about the death punishment itself. She is pleased that justice has been done at last, allowing us all to try to move on with our lives. However, if the death penalty is to be used, the procedure must be finished in a fair amount of time. This is because a wait of several decades is not only painful for everyone concerned, but it also significantly reduces the death sentence’s ability to deter crime.
Andy remarked, “I want to thank Governor Landry for bringing conclusion and certainty to this case, and his commitment to streamlining the process for future death penalty cases.
I also want to thank Assistant District Attorney Ronnie Gracianette for always keeping me informed throughout. He went out of his way to make sure I was never surprised by any important information on the case over all these years. Thanks also to Colin Sims for his competence in defending the sentence against the many filings from Hoffman’s legal team.
Finally, I want to thank my family and friends for their long support and love through this process.”
Murderer Jessie Hoffman put to death by nitrogen gas in Louisiana’s first execution in 15 years pic.twitter.com/uSRElzALNz
— TheTexasOne (@TexasRepublic71) March 19, 2025
Ilona Hoffman
“Today, the State of Louisiana took the life of my husband, Jessie Hoffman. But no execution can erase the truth of who he was — a beautiful soul who inspired many,” Ilona said.
No one should have to bear the unfathomable burden that has weighed down the past few weeks. Jessie, however, was composed and grounded throughout it all. Most people could never comprehend the strength and grace with which he handled things. In addition to his demeanor in these last days, I am immensely proud of the man he became, the love he offered, and the legacy he leaves behind.
Ilona added, “Jessie was failed by the system from the very beginning. As a child, he was left without the care, protection, and guidance that every child deserves. The system neglected him when he needed help the most, setting him on a path where survival often came before anything else.
But despite that, he grew, he changed, and he became a man full of love, wisdom, and redemption. And yet, when he finally became the person he was always meant to be, that same broken system failed him again. It refused to recognize his transformation, choosing vengeance over justice.
It has been the greatest honor of my life to be his wife.”
