Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of crime that might be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution.
Gregory Hunt, 65, was sentenced to death after being convicted of capital murder. On August 2, 1988, he brutally ended the life of Karen Lane, then 32, a woman he had been reportedly dating. On Tuesday evening, he was executed by nitrogen gas at a South Alabama prison.
Hunt was only the sixth death row inmate in the United States who was put to death through this method, which is often branded “inhumane” by many. Nitrogen gas had been banned for euthanizing cats and dogs after evidence emerged that the animals were “frightened and scared.”
However, this execution method was brought back by Louisiana and Alabama for death row inmates.
The inmate is usually strapped to a chair with a nitrogen gas mask attached to it, which covers the entire face of the person. The individual is then forced to breathe the pure gas. This deprives them of the oxygen they need to stay alive.
During his execution, Gregory Hunt is said to have been left “convulsing” on the gurney before he finally died. According to various reports, he gave a thumbs-up sign and a peace sign directed at the prison authorities. This incident has now sparked a debate about the usage of nitrogen gas for death row purposes.
According to the authorities, Gregory spent at least four minutes “convulsing” before he was pronounced dead at around 6:26 pm.
The Associated Press reports, the nitrogen gas began flowing in his mask after 5:55 pm, though the exact time is not clear. Two minutes later, the inmate began shaking and gasping, and then he raised his head off the gurney. Around 5:50 pm, he let out a moan and raised his feet. He continued gasping and took long pauses between breaths until 6:05 pm; that’s when he visibly stopped moving at all.
Gregory Hunt, 65, died by inhaling pure nitrogen gas at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. It’s the only prison in Alabama with an execution chamber. Hunt was the state’s fifth nitrogen execution. His execution was Alabama’s third overall this year. pic.twitter.com/d9HYpxXNPq
— AL.com (@aldotcom) June 11, 2025
His movements, especially the shaking and gasps, were similar to the other five nitrogen executions in the United States. Although the authorities insisted it was expected, critics slammed the method for not providing quick death.
John Hamm, the Alabama Corrections Commissioner, noted, “What I saw has been consistent with all the other nitrogen hypoxia executions. There is involuntary body movement,” as per The Sun.
On the other hand, critics like Lee Capone, who is a Louisiana veterinarian, lamented, “We are going backward; it’s not humane.” Capone previously took part in the campaign for the ban of nitrogen gas usage to euthanize animals.
AL plans to execute #GregoryHunt on June 10 using nitrogen gas, a method shown to be agonizing.
This is cruel, unusual and unconstitutional. Please don’t remain silent, call @GovernorKayIvey now to demand a stop to this inhumane execution: (334) 242-7100#StopExecutionsAlabama pic.twitter.com/OpPjfKi6Fj
— Karine Omry (@KarineOmry) June 5, 2025
Despite the controversy, Hunt’s victim’s family thinks it is the perfect justice they’d been hoping for. Karen’s family noted, “This is also not about closure or victory. This night represents justice and the end of a nightmare that has coursed through our family for 37 years.”
Before brutally taking her life, Gregory had been dating Lane for about a month. According to the prosecutors, he was “enraged with jealousy” and broke into her apartment. Then, he proceeded to s—ally abuse her before beating her to death.
Reports said that he inflicted at least 60 injuries on her body. In 1990, Hunt was convicted and handed a death sentence by an 11-1 vote.
