BATON ROUGE — Hours before the execution of convicted murderer and rapist Jessie Hoffman was put on hold pending a hearing, a group of activists gathered outside the State Capitol to protest his death sentence.

The activists hoped to change Gov. Jeff Landry's mind and argued that killing Hoffman, regardless of his crimes, would be inhumane and a violation of the Eighth Amendment.

The activists collected signatures for a petition attempting to convince Landry to stop the execution. They brought the signatures to officials in the Capitol.

Activists from Death Penalty Action stood on the steps of the State Capitol in front of a sign advocating to "DOGE the death penalty," referencing the ongoing initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk with the expressed goal of reducing government spending.

The sign says that capital punishment, including the nitrogen gas-induced asphyxia that Hoffman faces as the first execution victim in the state in 15 years, is one of the most inefficient government programs.

"Jesse Hoffman may be guilty of the murder that he is scheduled to be executed for, but sooner or later, we're going to get it wrong," Executive Director of Death Penalty Action Abraham Bonowitz said. "And it's not just about 'Did the person do the crime?' But are they fully culpable?"

The activists also rang a bell in protest of the execution, evoking the phrase "For whom the bell tolls," which evokes the tolling of church bells, which signified death taking a toll on the entire community, regardless of culpability.

Hoffman's execution was scheduled for Tuesday but was halted Monday, saying the Buddhist inmate needed time to press his claim that his death by asphyxia could be torturous and impact his later rebirth.