Alabama death row inmate Carey Dale Grayson is set to be executed on Thursday using nitrogen gas, a controversial method described by some as torture. If the execution proceeds, Grayson will become the third inmate in the U.S. ever executed with this method, and the 22nd inmate executed in the U.S. this year.
Grayson was convicted of capital murder in the torture, bludgeoning, and mutilation of Vickie Lynn Deblieux in 1994. Alongside three other teenagers, Grayson picked up Deblieux while she was hitchhiking and proceeded to kill her by beating, stomping, and kicking her. They then mutilated her corpse, cutting her body over 180 times.
The execution is set to take place at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. Grayson will be executed using nitrogen hypoxia, a method that critics argue can amount to torture. Previous executions using this method have drawn criticism for the prolonged and seemingly agonizing deaths of the inmates.
Grayson’s last hope for a reprieve lies with the U.S. Supreme Court and Governor Kay Ivey. He has a history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder, and has like claims of being in a manic state during the murder. Despite this, appeals for leniency have been unsuccessful, and the execution is expected to proceed as scheduled.
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