Montgomery, Alabama — Alabama has made headlines again with its controversial use of nitrogen gas for capital punishment, executing Carey Dale Grayson, 49, for a murder committed nearly three decades ago. On Thursday at 6:33 p.m., Grayson was pronounced dead after becoming the third inmate in the state subjected to this method since its adoption in 2018.
Grayson was convicted of the 1994 murder of 37-year-old Vickie Deblieux, who was brutally beaten to death after she was picked up while hitchhiking. The severity of the crime appalled the community and has resonated through the years. Governor Kay Ivey commented shortly after the execution, reflecting on the violent nature of the act and expressing hope that the execution might bring some closure to Deblieux’s surviving family members.
Eyewitness accounts from the media described Grayson’s execution as distressing, noting that he experienced labored, heavy breathing for almost ten minutes. Before his execution, Grayson reportedly used his last words to curse at the warden, an indication of his defiant attitude up to the end.
The use of nitrogen gas has been touted by some as a humane alternative to other methods, such as lethal injection. However, this theory is being increasingly questioned as witnessed accounts from recent executions, including Grayson’s, suggest a potentially distressing death process. Critics, including advocates like Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, argue that the method is inhumane and causes undue suffering.
Further controversy surrounded Grayson’s case due to his last-minute appeal that contested the execution method. He claimed that improper fitting of the execution device and lack of pre-execution medical reviews could result in intense pain. Nevertheless, these appeals were rejected by the courts, which deemed the claims speculative.
Alabama’s return to utilizing capital punishment this frequently —six executions this year, the highest since 2011— has sparked debates on the state and national levels regarding the future of the death penalty. This resurgence also marks Alabama as the first and only U.S. state to implement executions via nitrogen gas.
The legal proceedings leading up to Grayson’s execution also drew attention to the broader implications of capital punishment. Notably, Grayson’s accomplices were either sentenced to life or received commuted sentences following a Supreme Court ruling against executing those who were minors at the time of their crimes.
As Alabama continues to use and possibly expand nitrogen gas executions, the state finds itself at the center of a critical national dialogue on the ethics and effectiveness of the death penalty in achieving justice. Meanwhile, communities impacted by such violent crimes continue to search for healing and closure amidst the complex legal and ethical landscape.