MOBILE, AL – Alabama witnessed its third execution using nitrogen gas as Carey Dale Grayson, convicted in the 1994 killing of a hitchhiker, was put to death at the William Holman correctional facility. Grayson, one of four teenagers involved in the brutal murder of Vickie DeBlieux, faced his final moments with defiance, cursing at the warden and making obscene gestures before the execution.

As the curtains opened in the execution room, Grayson, strapped to a gurney with a gas mask, responded with profanity when asked for his final words. The process of nitrogen suffocation, a controversial method recently adopted in the US for capital punishment, began as spectators watched.

Despite initial movements and struggles, Grayson eventually took his last breath and was pronounced dead at 6.33 pm, marking Alabama’s third use of nitrogen gas for executions. This method, involving the deprivation of oxygen via pumped nitrogen, has drawn criticism and comparisons to lethal experiments on human beings.

The use of nitrogen gas in executions has sparked debate over its humaneness, with conflicting reports on the experiences of those put to death through this method. Alabama corrections commissioner John Hamm defended the process, stating that involuntary movements observed during the executions were expected.

Grayson’s case brought attention to the issues surrounding the death penalty, with his victim’s daughter speaking out against the decision to execute him. She emphasized the importance of ending the cycle of violence and questioned the morality of taking a life in the name of justice.

The execution proceeded despite legal efforts to halt it, underscoring the ongoing ethical debates surrounding capital punishment in the United States. The use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution remains a divisive issue, with advocates and opponents continuing to engage in discussions about its implications for human rights and justice.