Atmore, AL — An Alabama death row inmate, Carey Dale Grayson, was executed Thursday evening using nitrogen gas, marking a rare application of the controversial method. Before his death, Grayson received a final meal typical of Tex-Mex cuisine and directed a profane outburst toward the execution staff.
Grayson, 50, had been on death row for the murder and brutal dismemberment of 37-year-old Vickie Lynn Deblieux, a crime that occurred in 1994 while Deblieux was hitchhiking from Chattanooga, TN, to her mother’s home in West Monroe, LA. The execution took place at William C. Holman Correctional Facility just after 6 p.m., beginning when the curtains of the execution chamber were drawn back.
After being strapped to the table and having his death warrant read aloud by the prison warden, Grayson was given the opportunity to speak. Instead of a reflective final statement, Grayson lashed out with obscene language and gestures, after which the microphone was promptly removed. State prison officials cited his earlier verbal assaults on staff members as the reason for cutting his last words short.
The method of execution, nitrogen hypoxia — where breathable air is displaced by nitrogen, causing death through a lack of oxygen — has sparked significant debate. This execution was only the third time such a method had been employed.
Commissioner John Hamm addressed reporters, explaining that Grayson also used his final moments to criticize the prison system and state, labeling them as accomplices to murder. Prior to the administration of nitrogen gas, which started at 6:12 p.m. and lasted for about 15 minutes, Grayson had moments of physical agitation visible to witnesses. He was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m.
On the day of his execution, Grayson had refused breakfast and lunch but opted for coffee and Mountain Dew. Local restaurants supplied his last meal, which included soft tacos, beef burritos, a tostada, chips, guacamole, and a Mountain Dew Blast.
The crime for which Grayson was sentenced to death involved a heinous attack on Deblieux after he and three other teenagers offered her a ride. Instead of aiding her journey, they abducted Deblieux to a secluded area, where they brutally attacked her and later mutilated her body, which was found with over 180 stab wounds and severe disfigurement. The remaining assailants involved in the crime received life sentences after originally being sentenced to death.
During the execution, there were protesters, led by the group Death Penalty Action, gathered outside the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery. They voiced strong opposition to the death penalty, advocating for an end to what they identify as a cycle of violence perpetuated by state executions.
Jodi Haley, Deblieux’s daughter, also present at the execution, offered a poignant reflection on both the execution and the effects of childhood trauma on criminal behavior, suggesting a neglected aspect of the justice system.
“Our society failed Carey as much as it failed my mother when they didn’t protect her from him,” Haley commented. She criticized the principle of retributive justice on which the execution was based, arguing for a systemic review of capital punishment policies.
This execution, the sixth in Alabama and the 22nd in the U.S. for the year, highlights ongoing national debates around methods of execution, the efficacy and morality of the death penalty, and the complexities surrounding crime and punishment in the American justice system.