Federal appeals court won’t block upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal appeals court says it will let the nation’s third execution with nitrogen gas go forward this week. The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed on Monday a lower court’s decision to let Carey Dale Grayson’s execution proceed Thursday night. Grayson was convicted of the 1994 killing of Vickie Deblieux. A lawyer for Grayson said they plan to appeal. Critics argue the execution method needs more scrutiny before it is used again. Alabama began using nitrogen gas to execute people on death row earlier this year. The method involves using a gas mask that replaces breathable air with pure nitrogen. It kills the person by depriving them of oxygen.