Gregory Hunt, 65, was executed by nitrogen hypoxia on Tuesday, June 10, at a prison in South Alabama, marking the state’s second execution using this controversial method. Hunt, who was convicted of killing Karen Lane in 1988, was executed after spending nearly 37 years on death row.
The Execution and Final Moments
Hunt, who had been convicted of first-degree murder for the brutal killing of 32-year-old Karen Lane, did not give any final words before his death. However, in the moments leading up to his execution, he was seen making a thumbs-up sign and peace sign with his fingers while strapped to a chair with a blue-rimmed mask covering his face.
After the nitrogen gas was released, Hunt’s body convulsed for approximately four minutes. He gasped for air, raised his head off the chair, and let out a moan. His movements were characterized by long pauses in between breaths, which were ultimately deemed involuntary body movements by Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm.
Hamm said that the reaction was consistent with previous executions using nitrogen hypoxia, but critics of the method argue that the process does not provide a quick or painless death.
Background of the Crime
Hunt was convicted for the 1988 murder of Karen Lane, whom he had dated for about a month before the crime. Prosecutors claimed that Hunt became enraged after a jealous dispute, breaking into Lane’s apartment, sexually assaulting her, and then beating her to death, leaving 60 injuries on her body. Hunt’s crime was deemed so horrific that jurors unanimously recommended a death sentence in 1990.
Lane’s family, who attended the execution, said the night was not about Hunt’s life, but about seeking justice for Lane’s murder. They emphasized that the execution represented the end of a long nightmare, adding, “This is not about closure or victory.”
Nitrogen Hypoxia: A Controversial Execution Method
Hunt chose to be executed by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama first used in 2022. The process involves depriving the inmate of oxygen by forcing them to breathe pure nitrogen, leading to asphyxiation. Hunt opted for nitrogen over lethal injection or the electric chair.
Although Alabama has carried out six nitrogen executions—five in Alabama and one in Louisiana—critics argue that the method still raises concerns about the humaneness of executions. While Hunt’s execution lasted for several minutes, the state’s corrections officials have said that this was expected and consistent with other nitrogen executions.
Hunt’s Final Meal and Other Details
On the day of his execution, Hunt was served a lunch tray with bologna, black-eyed peas, carrots, and fruit punch. He declined a dinner meal. The execution took place three hours after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request for a stay of execution. Hunt had argued that prosecutors had misled jurors about evidence of sexual abuse during the trial, a claim that was dismissed by the Alabama Attorney General’s office.
Wider Context: The Death Penalty in the U.S.
The death penalty remains legal in 24 states in the U.S., though its use has decreased in recent years, with 23 states either abolishing it or placing a moratorium on executions. Lethal injection remains the most common method of execution, though electric chairs, gas chambers, hanging, and firing squads remain available as secondary options in certain states. The growing concerns about wrongful convictions, increasing execution costs, and shifting public opinion have sparked a nationwide conversation on the future of capital punishment.
Gregory Hunt’s execution and the events surrounding it have sparked debate over the use of nitrogen gas as an execution method and the broader issue of the death penalty in the United States. While Alabama maintains that the process was in line with previous nitrogen executions, critics continue to question its effectiveness and humanity. Meanwhile, Karen Lane’s family is left to grapple with the loss of a loved one and the long-awaited justice for her tragic death.
