In Alabama, an inmate who was convicted of murder back in 1994 was executed Thursday using a new and controversial method involving nitrogen gas. This marked the third execution in the state this year using nitrogen hypoxia, a method that has stirred up plenty of concerns about whether it causes unnecessary suffering.
What Happened?
Carey Dale Grayson, 50, was put to death at 6:33 p.m. at the state prison in Atmore. He was convicted of a brutal crime from when he was just 19 years old. Grayson and three teenage friends abducted and killed Vickie Deblieux, a 37-year-old hitchhiker, in a horrifying attack. The group had been drinking and doing drugs when they attacked Deblieux, beat her, and even mutilated her body. Grayson received the death penalty, while his co-defendants, who were under 18 at the time, eventually had their sentences reduced to life in prison.
Grayson’s Final Words
Before the execution, Grayson expressed deep regret for the crime. “I’ve been sorry for 30 years,” he said, according to his lawyer, Kacey Keeton. He asked for forgiveness and spoke about how he had repented over the years. However, in his final moments, Grayson also criticized the prison system, accusing officials of being “serial killers.” The microphone was cut off when he used a curse word toward the warden, so witnesses couldn’t hear everything he said.
The Method: Nitrogen Hypoxia
Alabama has been trying out nitrogen hypoxia, a process where inmates breathe pure nitrogen through a mask, cutting off oxygen until they die. It’s an alternative to lethal injection, which has faced problems in recent years due to a shortage of necessary drugs and failed attempts to insert IV lines during executions. However, critics argue that nitrogen hypoxia isn’t the painless method it’s claimed to be.
Grayson’s lawyer, John Palombi, argued that the method risks causing terror and suffering, describing it as similar to suffocation. Reports from previous executions using nitrogen hypoxia back up these concerns. Witnesses said inmates struggled on the gurney, gasped for air, and appeared to writhe in pain during the process.
Despite these warnings, Alabama moved forward with Grayson’s execution. The state has been under pressure to make nitrogen hypoxia work since becoming the first to adopt the method.
The Governor’s Response
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey dismissed calls to halt Grayson’s execution. Critics and protesters had sent petitions urging her to intervene, but Ivey was firm in her decision. “Did Carey Grayson think about the 30 Thanksgivings he stole from Vickie Deblieux and her family?” she asked earlier this month.
After the execution, the governor’s office released a statement calling Grayson’s crimes “heinous and unimaginable” and defending the use of nitrogen hypoxia, saying it was nothing compared to what Deblieux endured.
A Painful History
Grayson’s case is a grim reminder of a brutal crime. In February 1994, Grayson and his friends encountered Deblieux, who was hitchhiking to see her mother in Louisiana. What followed was horrifying. They beat her, threw her off a cliff, and mutilated her body. One of the teens, Louis Mangione, even showed her severed finger to friends, leading to their arrest.
Grayson’s co-defendants were younger—16 and 17 at the time—and avoided the death penalty after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to execute juveniles. Grayson, however, faced the ultimate punishment.
What’s Next for Nitrogen Hypoxia?
This method of execution is still under heavy scrutiny. Human rights groups and medical experts argue it could prolong suffering if even a small amount of oxygen leaks into the mask. Grayson’s execution adds fuel to the debate, as previous cases have already highlighted the challenges with this untested approach.
Alabama officials maintain that they’re doing their best to carry out executions lawfully. Critics, however, are demanding a full review of the method, hoping to prevent more controversial deaths like this in the future.
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