An execution took place on Tuesday evening in Alabama, marking a rare use of nitrogen gas as a method of executing a death row inmate. Gregory Hunt, aged 65, breathed his last at 6:26 p.m. at a correctional facility located in southern Alabama. This event marks the sixth such execution involving nitrogen gas in the United States.
Hunt was found guilty of murdering 32-year-old Karen Lane on August 2, 1988, in Cordova, Walker County. Authorities described the execution procedure, which involves cutting off the supply of oxygen, causing death by forcing the inmate to inhale nothing but pure nitrogen gas. A gurney confined Hunt as he wore a face-covering mask with a blue rim. He did not give final words but communicated non-verbally with a thumbs-up and peace sign. Although the gas began to be administered slightly past 5:55 p.m., the exact time remained unclear.
Witnesses reported that at 5:57 p.m., Hunt experienced physical reactions, including gasping and raising his head and feet before moaning at 5:59 p.m. After a few labored breaths with intervals, all movement ceased around 6:05 p.m. These responses to the gas mirror those observed in past nitrogen executions within the state, which has sparked debate. State officials contend these reactions are to be expected, yet opponents argue that these signs reflect the potential cruelty of the process.
Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm observed that “the involuntary body movement” is a consistent characteristic witnessed in other nitrogen executions. For the crime, Hunt had dated Lane briefly before his violent actions led to her death, driven by jealousy. Investigators revealed that he forcibly entered her residence, subjected her to sexual violence, and caused severe injuries that led to her death. The jurors delivered a guilty verdict in 1990, with an 11-1 decision culminating in a death penalty recommendation.
Several of Lane’s family members were present for the execution, as shared by Hamm. The family’s statement focused on acknowledgment of Karen Sanders Lane’s tragic demise and underscored their lack of animosity against Hunt, emphasizing their intent for justice rather than personal vindication. The deputy of Alabama’s attorney general’s office, Steve Marshall, endorsed the execution as an essential closure, highlighting the tragic loss of Lane whose life was so cruelly taken.
Notably, Hunt’s life on death row extended beyond the years Lane lived. While incarcerated, Hunt reportedly discovered solace through religion, leading Bible study groups since 1998 in efforts to inspire change among fellow prisoners.
Despite attempts to halt the execution, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Hunt’s plea for a stay, rejecting his assertions of prosecutorial misconduct concerning the sexual abuse evidence. On the execution day, Hunt opted out of the final meal tradition, consuming merely a modest lunch of bologna sandwiches, black-eyed peas, and fruit punch as per prison authorities.
The Rev. Jeff Hood, who opposed the death penalty while being close to Hunt, reacted with profound disappointment over the execution. This latest execution continues Alabama’s history with nitrogen gas as a capital punishment method, which first began last year. Hunt had expressed preference for nitrogen over lethal injection or electrocution choices available, preceding the establishment of formal execution guidelines for nitrogen.
Aside from Hunt’s execution in Alabama, another occurred on the same day in Florida. This separate case involved Anthony Wainwright, who faced a lethal injection for a 1994 crime involving the murder of 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart in Lake City.