The state of Alabama executed Carey Dale Grayson, a convicted murderer, using nitrogen hypoxia as the method in the third such execution this year. Concerns have been raised over the potential for prolonged suffering and unconstitutional added pain with this method. Grayson, who had requested the execution be carried out using nitrogen gas, was executed for the abduction and killing of a hitchhiker when he was 19. Despite appeals, his execution was allowed to proceed. In his final statement, Grayson expressed remorse for his crime and mentioned his disappointment in the prison system. Both the governor’s office and attorney general stated that justice has been served for the victim’s family. Earlier nitrogen gas executions in Alabama had shown issues with inmates struggling and not losing consciousness quickly. The use of nitrogen has raised concerns due to potential side effects and the risk of slow asphyxiation. Grayson’s lawyers had questioned the constitutionality of the method due to potential suffering. The appeals court rejected these arguments. Grayson becomes the sixth person executed in Alabama this year for his role in a brutal murder case involving the mutilation of a hitchhiker’s body.
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Alabama executes Carey Dale Grayson using nitrogen gas for third time
