US sees its third nitrogen gas execution: Alabama man convicted of killing hitchhiker put to death
Representative image.
The United States (US) saw its third execution using nitrogen gas. A report by the news agency Associated Press on Friday (Nov 22) said that an Alabama manconvicted in the 1994 killing of a hitchhiker cursed at the prison warden and made obscene gestures with his hands shortly before he was put to death Thursday evening.
The man was identified as 50-year-oldCarey Dale Grayson. The Associated Press report said that Grayson was executed at theC. Holman Correctional Facility in southern Alabama.
Like two others previously executed by nitrogen, Grayson shook at times before taking a periodic series of gasping breaths.
The 1994 killing of a hitchhiker
Grayson, who was then a teen, was one of the four teenagers convicted of killing 37-year-oldVickie DeBlieuxin 1994.DeBlieux was hitchhiking from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to her mother’s home in West Monroe, Louisiana, when Grayson and three othersoffered her a ride.
)
3.5-million-year-old mystery creature found in Japan is a 'giant' never seen before
)
JP Nadda, Jitendra Singh meet Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital: Report
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters with most runs in India vs Zimbabwe T20Is
)
Before you buy your Odyssey ticket: The difference between IMAX 70mm and digital explained
)
Japan is selling a refrigerator to cool the human body for Rs 9 lakh. It is already a hit in Tokyo
)
YouTube cracks down on AI slop, but didn't it help create the monster? Your channel will be demonetised if...
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
Donald Trump heading for a tough midterm elections as approval ratings fall
)
Iran strikes Amazon data infrastructure in Bahrain, power, water desalination plants in Kuwait
)
FACT CHECK: Was Abhijit Dipke detained during CJP's Parliament march? Here's what police say
)
UP BTech gold medalist dies by suicide after failing in nearly 50 govt job attempts, leaves note for father
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Eyes before weapons': How the S-400's radar network works
)
Burnham sticks with Starmer's Iran policy, keeps UK bases open to US: Report
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
)
Indus treaty can no longer function in its current form, says India; plans 5,500 mw of new J&K hydro projects
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 team of the tournament: The best XI that ruled football’s biggest stage
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
)
Preity Zinta backs Sonam Wangchuk and CJP student protests, urges activist to end fast
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
‘He's the architect of the genocide against Palestinians’: Mamdani repeats Netanyahu will be arrested if he visits US
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
World's top 7 most liveable cities in 2026 — Check where India and Pakistan stand
)
'Guru is the...': Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shares message on education amid calls for his resignation
)
'We acted immediately...': Indian PM Modi breaks silence on paper leaks as NEET protest, calls for Education Minister's resignation grows
)
‘Centre had no interest in having a debate’: LoP Rahul Gandhi demands resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, Amit Shah
)
FBI arrests alleged $547mn medicare fraud fugitive after 3-year global manhunt
Also read |Alabama executes prisoner Alan Miller in state's second-ever nitrogen-asphyxiation execution
Prosecutors said the four teenagerstook her to a wooded area and attacked and beat her. She wasthen thrown off a cliff. The report said that the woman's mutilated body wasfound at the bottom of a bluff near Odenville, Alabama.
A medical examiner testified that her face was so fractured that she was identified by an earlier X-ray of her spine. Investigators said the teenagerswere identified as suspects after one of them showed a friend one of DeBlieux’s severed fingers and boasted about the killing.
Grayson was the only one of the four teenagers who faced a death sentence since the other teens were under 18 at the time of the killing. He was 19.
The execution using nitrogen gas
The curtains to the execution room were opened shortly after 6:00 pm local time on Thursday.
Strapped to a gurney with a blue-rimmed gas mask on his face, Grayson responded with an obscenity when the warden asked if he had any final words. Prison officials turned off the microphone.
The man appeared to speak toward the witness room where state officials were present, but his words could not be heard. He raised both middle fingers at the start of the execution.
It was unclear when the gas began flowing, but Grayson was pronounced dead at 6:33pm local time.
The execution was carried out hours after the USSupreme Court turned down Grayson’s request for a stay.
(With inputs from agencies)