In this powerful episode of Santana True Crime, Dr. Bill Kimberlin — author of Watch Me Die and one of America’s foremost experts on executions — joins Dr. Brian Santana for an in-depth conversation about the realities, ethics, and evolving landscape of capital punishment.

Together, we explore:

From South Carolina’s recent firing-squad execution to Alabama’s upcoming first-ever nitrogen gas execution, we break down how and why these methods are changing — and what they reveal about the future of the death penalty.

Dr. Kimberlin shares what he’s witnessed firsthand after years inside death-row units: the emotional, psychological, and often surprising behaviors of inmates facing their last 24 hours.

With a vast collection of artwork sent to him by serial killers over the years, Dr. Kimberlin discusses the ethical challenges of owning material created by violent offenders — and why he refuses to sell it, choosing instead to loan pieces to support victims of crime.

We look at the moral gray areas surrounding different execution methods, the role of the state, the impact on victims’ families, and the psychological toll on staff tasked with carrying out these sentences.

This episode is a rare and unfiltered conversation with two experts who have studied death row from every angle — inside the cell block, inside the courtroom, and inside the ethical debate.

Watch the full discussion now on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.

• The evolution of execution methods• The final days and final conversations of inmates• Serial killer artwork and its moral dilemma• The ethics of capital punishment

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