On Thursday, Carey Dale Grayson was executed at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, marking a significant moment in Alabama’s use of capital punishment. Convicted of murdering Vickie DeBlieux in 1996, Grayson’s death was carried out using nitrogen hypoxia – a method that remains shrouded in controversy due to its limited testing and implementation.

Grayson, who spent nearly three decades on death row, was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. The Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed that his final hours were spent in quiet contemplation. Refusing both breakfast and lunch, he ordered a final meal of soft tacos, beef burritos, tostadas, chips, guacamole and a Mountain Dew Blast. The day before his execution, Grayson met with 11 visitors and received three phone calls, while the day of his death saw a reduced number of visitors and calls. His body was transferred to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences Mobile Laboratory for a post-mortem examination.

Jodi Haley, DeBlieux’s daughter, spoke with raw emotion to those gathered at the execution, according to media reports. Her words offered a rare insight into the execution process, combining pain with a call for societal reflection. “I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother while you’re going through life, graduation, marriage, kids, hurts and joys,” Haley said, her voice shaking. “I had to experience life without her presence because all those opportunities were stolen from her.”

Haley acknowledged the broader societal factors that may have contributed to Grayson’s actions. “Society failed (Grayson) as a child and my family suffered because of it,” she said. Her remarks took a striking turn as she questioned the moral justification for capital punishment. “He might have had some words of wisdom for someone to prevent another guy from ever going back to prison. Who knows the positive impact it could have had on lives,” Haley said. “For me, revenge, an eye for an eye justification, is not right. We use that justification, but then in the same breath we say, “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” We have to decide because you can’t ride two horses with one horse.”

Haley closed with a call for change, urging compassion over revenge. “Loving, forgiving, and letting go of pain and hatred are fundamental requirements for inducing change for a better tomorrow. The killing of prisoners under the pretext of justice must stop. State-sanctioned homicide should never be listed as a cause of death.”

Gov. Kay Ivey, who refused to grant clemency, stood by her decision. In a statement, she described the brutality of Grayson’s murder: “Some thirty years ago, Vickie DeBlieux’s trip to her mother’s home, and ultimately her life, were cut horribly short because of Carey Grayson and of three other men… An execution by nitrogen hypoxia bears. no comparison to the death and dismemberment suffered by Mrs. DeBlieux.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall echoed Ivey’s sentiment, labeling Grayson a “truly vicious monster” and saying that “justice has been served.” Marshall expressed his frustration with the lengthy appeals process, saying: “My hope is that one day it won’t take three decades to bring justice to other victims of violent crime.”

The execution drew sharp criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International’s TJ Riggs condemned Alabama’s reliance on the death penalty, particularly its use of nitrogen hypoxia, which he described as an “untested and inhumane” method. “While most of the world has turned away from the cruel and inhumane practice of the death penalty, it is shameful that Alabama just carried out its sixth execution this year,” Riggs said. “Alabama must allocate resources to alternatives to the death penalty that would better address crime at its roots and protect human rights.” Riggs also highlighted systemic flaws in the implementation of the death penalty, saying it disproportionately affects marginalized communities and risks executing innocent people.

Grayson’s execution marks the sixth in Alabama this year, the most in the country. The state’s use of nitrogen hypoxia – a method that deprives the inmate of oxygen by replacing it with nitrogen – has attracted international attention. Advocates argue the method lacks sufficient testing to ensure it is more humane than lethal injection or electrocution. As Alabama continues to aggressively pursue capital punishment, deep divisions in public opinion remain evident. While some see executions as a necessary tool of justice, others, like Haley, argue that they represent a failure of morality and governance. Grayson’s death adds another chapter to the difficult history of the death penalty in America, a practice that some say belongs to a bygone era.