Alabama – Carey Dale Grayson, an Alabama death row inmate, is set to make history as the third person in the United States to be executed using nitrogen hypoxia, a highly controversial method described by some as “torture.” Scheduled for Thursday evening, the execution has sparked heated debate over the ethics and pain involved in this relatively untested method.
Grayson, now 49, was convicted for his role in the brutal 1994 murder of Vickie Lynn Deblieux, a 37-year-old hitchhiker who was tortured, mutilated, and killed by Grayson and three other teenagers. The crime sent shockwaves through the nation, and Grayson’s impending execution has reignited discussions about capital punishment and humane execution methods.
The Heinous Crime That Led to Grayson’s Death Sentence
On February 21, 1994, Vickie Lynn Deblieux was hitchhiking through Alabama when Grayson, then 19, and three other teens picked her up along Interstate 59. The group lured her to a wooded area on Bald Mountain, where they proceeded to savagely beat, stomp, and strangle her.
Court records reveal that Grayson and another teen stood on Deblieux’s throat to kill her. Her body was later thrown off a cliff, but the teens returned to mutilate her remains, cutting her 180 times, removing a lung, and severing her fingers. The crime was uncovered after one of the teens showed a severed finger to a friend.
While the other teens involved were sentenced to life without parole due to a Supreme Court ruling banning the execution of minors, Grayson, as the oldest participant, received the death penalty.
How Grayson Will Be Executed
Grayson will be executed at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, at 6 p.m. on Thursday. He will die by nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves breathing pure nitrogen through a mask, depriving the body of oxygen. Proponents claim the process is quick and painless, but critics argue it is untested and could cause extreme suffering.
Grayson’s execution follows two earlier nitrogen hypoxia executions in Alabama this year. In January, Kenneth Eugene Smith appeared to convulse on the gurney for several minutes, despite officials’ claims that the method should render the inmate unconscious within seconds. Smith’s execution drew protests from human rights advocates and international attention.
Controversy Surrounding Nitrogen Hypoxia
Nitrogen hypoxia is being scrutinized as a potentially cruel and unusual punishment. Critics argue the method has not been thoroughly studied and may result in unnecessary suffering. Attorneys for previous inmates executed by nitrogen hypoxia claim the method fails to guarantee a painless death, a key requirement under U.S. law.
Alabama officials, however, have defended the method, describing Smith’s January execution as “textbook.” The state remains one of the few in the U.S. using nitrogen gas as an execution method, even as international organizations and the Vatican have condemned its use.
Grayson’s Background and Mental Health Claims
Grayson’s attorneys have argued that his bipolar disorder and traumatic childhood should have been mitigating factors in his sentencing. His mother died of mental illness when he was three, and a forensic psychologist testified that Grayson was in a manic state during the murder. Despite this, the court determined he understood the difference between right and wrong.
In police interviews, Grayson appeared to deflect responsibility for the crime, claiming the younger teens committed the worst acts. When asked why they killed Deblieux, he reportedly replied, “I don’t know…it was not my problem.”
Final Hours and Last Appeals
Grayson’s attorneys have exhausted appeals, leaving his fate in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Governor Ivey has shown little sympathy, saying, “Did Carey Grayson give any consideration to the fact that he robbed Vickie Deblieux and her family of now 30 Thanksgivings?”
As Grayson’s execution approaches, the controversy over nitrogen hypoxia’s use grows louder, raising questions about whether this method of execution belongs in the modern justice system.
