Atmore, Alabama – Carey Dale Grayson, a man convicted in the 1994 killing of a hitchhiker, met his end on Thursday evening in the nation’s third execution using nitrogen gas. Grayson, 50, was executed at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in southern Alabama, cursed at the prison warden, and made obscene gestures with his hands before his death. He was one of four teenagers convicted of killing Vickie DeBlieux, 37, as she hitchhiked through Alabama on her way to her mother’s home in Louisiana. DeBlieux was attacked, beaten, and thrown off a cliff.
Alabama implemented the use of nitrogen gas earlier this year as a method of execution. The process involves placing a respirator gas mask over the face to replace breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, leading to death by lack of oxygen. Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Q. Hamm stated that the nitrogen flowed for 15 minutes before Grayson was confirmed to no longer have a heartbeat about 10 minutes after the gas started flowing.
Grayson’s death by nitrogen gas was met with some movements and gasping breaths, similar to two previous executions using the same method. The victim’s daughter expressed her grief, sharing that her mother’s life and future were stolen from her. She also condemned the decision to execute Grayson, denouncing the act as “murdering inmates under the guise of justice.”
The execution room’s curtains opened shortly after 6 p.m., revealing Grayson strapped to a gurney with a gas mask on his face. In response to the warden’s inquiry about final words, Grayson delivered an obscenity and raised both middle fingers towards the observers. His final moments included struggling against restraints, gasping for breath, and ultimately being pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m.
DeBlieux’s mutilated body was discovered at the bottom of a bluff near Odenville, Alabama, in 1994. She was hitchhiking from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to her mother’s home in West Monroe, Louisiana, when the tragic incident occurred. Prosecutors revealed that the teenagers not only attacked and beat DeBlieux but also returned to mutilate her body.
Grayson’s history of abuse was highlighted by DeBlieux’s daughter, who emphasized that society failed him as a child. She strongly spoke out against the trend of executing inmates and stressed that no one should have the power to take away another person’s life. Governor Kay Ivey offered her prayers for the victim’s loved ones to find closure and healing.
The decision to execute Grayson was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court hours before the execution, dismissing his request for a stay. His legal team had argued for a more thorough review of the nitrogen gas method, claiming it causes “conscious suffocation.” Alabama is the only state to have used nitrogen hypoxia for executions, with Grayson being the first of four teenagers involved in DeBlieux’s murder to face the death penalty.