Podcast Summary: Revisionist History – The Alabama Murders, Part 6: The Porterfield Sessions
Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Malcolm Gladwell
Production: Pushkin Industries
Guest: Dr. Kate Porterfield, Trauma Psychologist
Episode Overview
This episode focuses on the aftermath of a botched execution attempt on Kenny Smith, one of the central figures in the series’ exploration of the Elizabeth Sennett murder case. Malcolm Gladwell examines Smith through the therapeutic lens of Dr. Kate Porterfield, who specializes in trauma, torture survivors, and death row cases. The episode dives into both Smith’s psychological suffering after his failed execution and the ripple effects of trauma across families and generations. Central to the discussion are questions about how institutions, through their attempts to resolve suffering and crime, may instead deepen harm.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Aftermath of Kenny Smith’s Botched Execution
[02:01 – 05:42]
- Dr. Kate Porterfield recounts how she was contacted by Smith’s lawyers days after the failed execution to assess his mental state.
- Smith, who had survived over 34 years on death row, was described as "very institutionalized" and emotionally stable, but deeply shaken:
“I'm very institutionalized… I've been through a lot, but I'm actually pretty stable. And he said, but I'm… I'm falling apart right now from what happened.”
(Kate Porterfield, 04:40) - Her sessions with Smith aimed to document the psychological trauma he suffered for legal proceedings and to understand who he was as a person.
2. The Trauma of Mock and Botched Executions
[07:14 – 10:25]
- Porterfield reflects on her experience treating torture survivors subjected to mock executions.
“It is its own unimaginable horror that leaves a really, really bad... physiological imprint.” (Kate Porterfield, 07:14)
- She draws parallels between this and Smith's ordeal, but notes Smith’s experience was, in some respects, even more severe because it was not a bluff; the state truly intended to kill him, but failed in the attempt.
- Smith was forced to endure repeated needle insertions and undignified procedures by guards he knew, then was tipped upside-down on a gurney in a desperate effort to find a usable vein.
“I don't imagine that a person who's doing that and witnessing it can walk away from that unscathed themselves.”
(Kate Porterfield, 11:22)
3. The Execution Chamber: Disorientation and Meaning-Making
[11:52 – 14:14]
- Smith tried to maintain composure by mentally rehearsing his last words to the victim’s family and his own relatives:
“Turn to the right, to the victim’s family and apologize. Turn to the left. Tell my family I love ‘em.”
(Kate Porterfield, 12:05) - Emotional confusion followed when a member of the execution team told Smith, "It's over, and I'll be praying for you," a disconcerting mix of violence and compassion.
“These kinds of moments for Kenny were just. What's the word? Unmanageable... he couldn't grasp it and he couldn't deal with it after.”
(Kate Porterfield, 12:59)
4. Smith’s Family History of Trauma and Violence
[17:10 – 21:00]
- The episode pivots to Smith’s family, particularly accounts from his mother Linda and brother Joey, illuminating the violent and abusive household in which Kenny was raised.
- Linda recounts abuse from Kenny’s father, Gene, who would routinely beat her, sometimes in front of the children or at her workplace.
“He would just hit me in the head. And I've still got a scar right there where he threw a bottle at me…”
(Linda Smith, 18:57) - Kenny, even as a young boy, tried to comfort his mother after beatings.
“He would... hug me and... just tell me, you know, everything would be okay.”
(Linda Smith, 20:23) - Kenny took on a caretaker role, cleaning up after his mother’s alcoholic binges as young as eight or nine.
5. Generational Suffering and the Limits of "Unconditional Love"
[26:06 – 30:59]
- Porterfield discusses the concept of children’s unconditional love for abusive parents, citing memoirist Katherine Harrison:
“Children have an unconditional... love of the parent.”
(Kate Porterfield, 27:16) - Porterfield reflects on the perpetuation of trauma, particularly sexual abuse, across generations in the families of her clients.
- She stresses that many violent offenders were themselves deeply hurt as children, often never having told anyone about their abuse:
“He was a little boy who had happened to him. He was really, really harmed.”
(Kate Porterfield, 29:45)
6. Trauma, Justice, and the "Bad Guy" Fallacy
[31:52 – 32:35]
- Porterfield underscores society’s desire to separate people neatly into victims or perpetrators:
“The area that I think we're woefully missing, especially in criminal justice, is seeing that people who... do bad things are usually... themselves having suffered really bad harm...”
(Kate Porterfield, 31:52) - She argues that trauma is not just a background detail but a driving engine behind much criminal behavior, including acts as severe as murder.
7. Returning to Love: Kenny Smith’s "Goodbyes"
[33:03 – 34:59]
- When first meeting Porterfield after the failed execution, Kenny focused on describing the love and support he received from family during his last goodbyes, rather than the horror of the execution attempt:
“He wanted to talk... about how beautiful his goodbyes were and the love he received from his family as he was going into the execution. That's what he wanted to start with.”
(Kate Porterfield, 33:03) - She initially thought he was avoiding trauma, but later understood he was also anchoring himself in love as a coping strategy.
8. The Long Shadow of State Violence
[35:32 – 36:26]
- Smith suffered from nightmares, exhaustion, and depression—classic symptoms of PTSD—after the botched execution.
“He was just having severe nightmares of being executed over and over... exhausted... had a lot of images coming back to him... and then he got depressed...”
(Kate Porterfield, 35:32)
9. The Looming Second Execution Attempt
[36:26 – 38:04]
- The episode closes on the impending second execution attempt, hinting at the continued emotional devastation for Smith and his family.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
The unmanageability of trauma:
“So this collision of people trying to kill you... and then someone bringing God in and saying this sort of generous thing, ‘I’ll be praying for you.’ It was like the word unmanageable is what I keep coming up with.”
(Kate Porterfield, 13:13) -
On childhood trauma:
“No one bothered to ask him until she did.”
(Gladwell, 30:17) -
On goodbyes and love against horror:
“Watching someone only start from a place of love after something so horrible was… I had never seen that before.”
(Kate Porterfield, 34:18) -
On trauma and punishment:
“People who do things that are against the law or even violent or even murder are usually and... frequently doing that themselves, having suffered really bad harm...”
(Kate Porterfield, 31:52)
Important Segment Timestamps
- 02:01 – 05:42: Initial background on Porterfield and Smith’s first conversations
- 07:14 – 10:25: Effects of mock execution and Smith’s botched execution described
- 11:52 – 14:14: Smith’s coping mechanisms and the confusing experience with the execution team
- 17:10 – 21:00: Childhood abuse and family hardship detailed by Smith’s mother Linda
- 26:20 – 27:24: Discussion of unconditional love from children to parents, even in abusive situations
- 29:45 – 30:59: Connection between hurt children and adult perpetrators
- 33:03 – 34:59: The power of focusing on “goodbye” and love as therapeutic anchor
- 35:32 – 36:26: Symptoms of PTSD and depression post-botched execution
- 36:26 – 38:04: The coming second execution attempt is introduced
Takeaways
- The episode reveals how the criminal justice system’s efforts to administer justice frequently result in new, compounding trauma for both victims and perpetrators.
- Kenny Smith’s story complicates the usual narrative of “bad guy” and “victim,” illustrating how generational trauma and state violence intersect.
- Dr. Kate Porterfield’s clinical and personal insights highlight the deep, often invisible wounds that fuel cycles of violence—and the vital importance of recognizing humanity even in those who have done great harm.
Next Episode: The series finale promises to investigate the controversial use of nitrogen gas as a new execution method and its aftermath for all involved.