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On Thursday, the State of Alabama will carry out the nation's third nitrogen gas execution.Carey Dale Grayson, 50, will be put to death for the murder of a woman in Jefferson County in the 1990s.The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s decision to Grayson’s execution proceed, with the three-judge panel writing that evidence “did not show that nitrogen hypoxia creates a substantial risk of conscious suffocation.”This comes after several lawsuits have challenged the constitutionality of the method of execution, calling it a torturous “human experiment that officials botched miserably," one that “cannot be allowed to be repeated.” Media witnesses, including WVTM 13, described how the subjects shook on the gurney for two minutes or longer, followed by what appeared to be several minutes of periodic labored breaths with long pauses in between.An attorney for Grayson said they plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.But who is Grayson, and what exactly did he do to wind up on death row?The Murder of Vickie DeblieuxOn the night of Feb. 21, 1994, 37-year-old Vickie Deblieux, who was attempting to hitchhike to her mother's home in Louisiana.She was dropped off on the side of the roadway on I-59 near Chattanooga, TN, by a friend, according to documents from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.Vickie hitched her way roughly 130 miles down the interstate that evening, eventually arriving at the Trussville exit in Jefferson County, where she was spotted by four teenagers in a truck.The teens, Grayson, 19; Kenny Loggins, 17; Trace Duncan, 17; and Louis Mangione, 16, offered to take Deblieux to Louisiana. All of them had spent the evening drinking and doing drugs, according to court documents.Soon after picking her up, the group drove her into the woods, telling her that they needed to pick up another vehicle.The teens continued drinking in the woods and began throwing beer bottles at Deblieux, who tried to run away. She was chased down, tackled and repeatedly kicked, after which one of the teens, reportedly assisted by Grayson, physically abused her until she died.Her last words were said to be, "Okay, I'll party."The group loaded her body and luggage back into the truck and drove to Bald Rock Mountain, where they abused her corpse and then tossed it over the edge of a cliff.After cleaning the truck off at a Pell City car wash and hiding Deblieux's luggage in the woods, the group dropped Mangione off at home and returned to Bald Rock. There, they found where they had dumped the body and stabbing and mutilated it.Grayson's girlfriend found the trio in the truck the next morning, asleep and covered in mud and blood.Five days after her murder, Deblieux's body was discovered by rock climbers, who contacted the police.“The medical examiner found the following injuries; almost every bone in her skull was fractured, every bone in her face was fractured at least once, lacerations on the face over these fractures, a missing tooth, left eye was collapsed, right eye was hemorrhaged, tongue discolored, 180 stab wounds (postmortem), two large incisions in her chest, her left lung had been removed and all her fingers and both thumbs were cut off."One of those fingers ended up in the possession of Mangione, who claimed that it was given to him by Loggins as a "souvenir." Before burying it in his yard, he reportedly showed it to some friends, stating that it belonged to a "female hitchhiker who had been murdered by some of his friends." It was this that ultimately led to the arrest of all four suspects.The TrialDuring his trial, Mangione testified that Grayson was essentially the ringleader of the murder. Not only had he been driving that night and invited Deblieux into the truck, he was also the first to harm her.Mangione further testified that Grayson threatened to kill him and Duncan if they “freaked out.”Duncan corroborated most of this information, alleging that " had been talking about killing somebody for some time that night."During a police interview, Grayson admitted to kicking and beating Deblieux but said that it was Loggins who ultimately killed. He also claimed that only Loggins and Duncan participated in the abuse of her corpse.When asked why the group had killed Deblieux, said that he didn't know, “but it was not his problem.”Grayson's attitude during question was “almost one of humor," according to the officer who took his statement, further stating that he "had a smile during the entire time we were speaking with him.” Why is he the only one facing the death sentence?Grayson is the only one facing a death sentence. Loggins and Duncan had their death sentences set aside when the U.S. Supreme Court banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crimes following the Roper v. Simmons case in 2005. Grayson was 19. Mangione was sentenced to life in prison.The window of execution for Grayson opens at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 and expires the following day at 6 a.m.Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. —
On Thursday, the State of Alabama will carry out the nation's third nitrogen gas execution.
Carey Dale Grayson, 50, will be put to death for the murder of a woman in Jefferson County in the 1990s.
The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s decision to Grayson’s execution proceed, with the three-judge panel writing that evidence “did not show that nitrogen hypoxia creates a substantial risk of conscious suffocation.”
This comes after several lawsuits have challenged the constitutionality of the method of execution, calling it a torturous “human experiment that officials botched miserably," one that “cannot be allowed to be repeated.”
Media witnesses, including WVTM 13, described how the subjects shook on the gurney for two minutes or longer, followed by what appeared to be several minutes of periodic labored breaths with long pauses in between.
An attorney for Grayson said they plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But who is Grayson, and what exactly did he do to wind up on death row?
The Murder of Vickie Deblieux
On the night of Feb. 21, 1994, 37-year-old Vickie Deblieux, who was attempting to hitchhike to her mother's home in Louisiana.
She was dropped off on the side of the roadway on I-59 near Chattanooga, TN, by a friend, according to documents from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
Vickie hitched her way roughly 130 miles down the interstate that evening, eventually arriving at the Trussville exit in Jefferson County, where she was spotted by four teenagers in a truck.
The teens, Grayson, 19; Kenny Loggins, 17; Trace Duncan, 17; and Louis Mangione, 16, offered to take Deblieux to Louisiana. All of them had spent the evening drinking and doing drugs, according to court documents.
Soon after picking her up, the group drove her into the woods, telling her that they needed to pick up another vehicle.
The teens continued drinking in the woods and began throwing beer bottles at Deblieux, who tried to run away. She was chased down, tackled and repeatedly kicked, after which one of the teens, reportedly assisted by Grayson, physically abused her until she died.
Her last words were said to be, "Okay, I'll party."
The group loaded her body and luggage back into the truck and drove to Bald Rock Mountain, where they abused her corpse and then tossed it over the edge of a cliff.
After cleaning the truck off at a Pell City car wash and hiding Deblieux's luggage in the woods, the group dropped Mangione off at home and returned to Bald Rock. There, they found where they had dumped the body and stabbing and mutilated it.
Grayson's girlfriend found the trio in the truck the next morning, asleep and covered in mud and blood.
Five days after her murder, Deblieux's body was discovered by rock climbers, who contacted the police.
“The medical examiner found the following injuries; almost every bone in her skull was fractured, every bone in her face was fractured at least once, lacerations on the face over these fractures, a missing tooth, left eye was collapsed, right eye was hemorrhaged, tongue discolored, 180 stab wounds (postmortem), two large incisions in her chest, her left lung had been removed and all her fingers and both thumbs were cut off."
One of those fingers ended up in the possession of Mangione, who claimed that it was given to him by Loggins as a "souvenir."
Before burying it in his yard, he reportedly showed it to some friends, stating that it belonged to a "female hitchhiker who had been murdered by some of his friends." It was this that ultimately led to the arrest of all four suspects.
The Trial
During his trial, Mangione testified that Grayson was essentially the ringleader of the murder. Not only had he been driving that night and invited Deblieux into the truck, he was also the first to harm her.
Mangione further testified that Grayson threatened to kill him and Duncan if they “freaked out.”
Duncan corroborated most of this information, alleging that "[Grayson] had been talking about killing somebody for some time that night."
During a police interview, Grayson admitted to kicking and beating Deblieux but said that it was Loggins who ultimately killed. He also claimed that only Loggins and Duncan participated in the abuse of her corpse.
When asked why the group had killed Deblieux, said that he didn't know, “but it was not his problem.”
Grayson's attitude during question was “almost one of humor," according to the officer who took his statement, further stating that he "had a smile during the entire time we were speaking with him.”
Why is he the only one facing the death sentence?
Grayson is the only one facing a death sentence.
Loggins and Duncan had their death sentences set aside when the U.S. Supreme Court banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crimes following the Roper v. Simmons case in 2005. Grayson was 19.
Mangione was sentenced to life in prison.
The window of execution for Grayson opens at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 and expires the following day at 6 a.m.
Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.
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