Death row inmate gave chilling final signal to witnesses before execution by nitrogen gas
ArchiveFirst published June 11, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
Gregory Hunt, 65, was executed in Alabama using nitrogen gas for the 1988 murder of his former girlfriend, Karen Lane. Convicted in 1990, Hunt had broken into Lane’s Cordova apartment, where he sexually assaulted and fatally beat her. Lane suffered over 60 injuries. Prosecutors described the crime as a jealous and brutal attack.
Hunt denied the sexual assault and filed a last-minute appeal claiming the jury was misled, but the Alabama Attorney General dismissed it as “meritless.” Acting as his own lawyer, Hunt made no final statement before the procedure. Witnesses saw him give a thumbs-up and peace sign before he gasped for air and died at 6:26 p.m.
Governor Kay Ivey said the punishment was “lawfully imposed” and that Hunt was “undeniably guilty.” Attorney General Steve Marshall added, “Karen Lane deserves to be remembered, not overshadowed by her killer.”
Hunt is the second person executed by nitrogen gas in the U.S., following Kenneth Smith in 2024. Lane’s family waited 35 years for justice.
