Alabama to execute a long-serving death row inmate for the 1988 beating death of a woman he dated
Share this @internewscast.com

ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — A man found guilty of fatally beating a woman nearly 37 years ago is set to be executed in Alabama on Tuesday, marking the nation’s sixth use of nitrogen gas for executions.

Gregory Hunt is planned to face execution Tuesday night at a prison in southern Alabama. Hunt was found guilty of murdering Karen Lane, a woman he had been seeing for approximately a month, as per court documents.

This Alabama execution is among four scheduled in the United States this week, with others planned in Florida and South Carolina. On Monday, an Oklahoma judge temporarily blocked an execution in that state, though the state attorney general is attempting to have the stay lifted.

Lane was 32 when she was murdered Aug. 2, 1988, in the Cordova apartment she shared with a woman who was Hunt’s cousin.

Prosecutors said Hunt broke into her apartment and killed her after sexually abusing her. A physician who performed an autopsy testified that she died from blunt force trauma and that Lane had sustained some 60 injuries, including 20 to the head.

A jury on June 19, 1990, found Hunt guilty of capital murder during sexual abuse and burglary. Jurors recommended by a vote of 11-1 that he receive a death sentence, which a judge imposed.

Hunt’s final request for a stay of execution, which he filed himself, focused on claims that prosecutors made false statements to jurors about evidence of sexual abuse. The element of sexual abuse is what elevated the crime to a death penalty offense.

In a filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hunt, acting as his own attorney, wrote that a prosecutor told jurors that cervical mucus was on a broomstick near Hunt’s body. However, the victim did not have a cervix because of an earlier hysterectomy. The Alabama attorney general’s office called the claim meritless and said even if the prosecutor erred in that statement, it did not throw the conviction into doubt.

Hunt, speaking by telephone last month from prison, did not dispute killing Lane but maintained he did not sexually assault her. He also described himself as someone who was changed by prison.

“Karen didn’t deserve what happened to her,” Hunt said.

Hunt said he had been drinking and doing drugs on the night of the crime and became jealous when he saw Lane in a car with another man.

“You have your come-to-Jesus moment. Of course, after the fact, you can’t believe what has happened. You can’t believe you were part of it and did it,” Hunt said.

Hunt, who was born in 1960 and came to death row in 1990, is now among the longest-serving inmates on Alabama’s death row. He said prison became his “hospital” to heal his broken mind. He said since 1988, he has been leading a Bible class attended by two dozen or more inmates.

“Just trying to be a light in a dark place, trying to tell people if I can change, they can too. … become people of love instead of hate,” he said.

Lane’s sister declined to comment when reached by telephone. The family is expected to give a written statement Tuesday night.

“The way she was killed is just devastating,” Denise Gurganus, Lane’s sister, told TV station WBRC at a 2014 vigil for crime victims. “It’s hard enough to lose a family member to death, but when it’s this gruesome.”

The Alabama attorney general’s office, in asking justices to reject Hunt’s request for a stay of execution, wrote that Hunt has now been on death row longer than Lane was alive.

Alabama last year became the first state to carry out an execution with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen has now been used in five executions — four in Alabama and one in Louisiana. The method involves using a gas mask to force an inmate to breathe pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen needed to stay alive.

Hunt had named nitrogen as his preferred execution method. He made the selection before Alabama had developed procedures for using gas. Alabama also allows inmates to choose lethal injection or the electric chair.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Sanders Mullin clash in heated Senate surgeon general hearing over systemic problems

Intense Senate Showdown: Sanders and Mullin Spar Over Deep-Rooted Issues in Surgeon General Hearing

A fiery exchange erupted between Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Republican Senator…
Rep. Rashida Tlaib sparks outrage after chanting 'KKK' during Trump's SOTU address

Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s Bold Chant at Trump’s SOTU Address Stirs Controversy

Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, a member of the progressive “Squad,” ignited…
Camp Mystic families sue Texas officials over evacuation plan enforcement

Families from Camp Mystic Take Legal Action Against Texas Officials Over Evacuation Plan Dispute

The families of nine girls who tragically lost their lives in a…
Heart stopping moment skier is rescued after being buried alive under mount of snow in Lake Tahoe

Dramatic Ski Rescue: Skier Saved from Snow Burial in Lake Tahoe

A near disaster was averted at a Lake Tahoe resort when two…
'Scream 7' premiere crashed by angry pro-Palestine protesters at Paramount Studios two years after Melissa Barrera was fired

Pro-Palestine Demonstrators Disrupt ‘Scream 7’ Premiere at Paramount Studios, Marking Two Years Since Melissa Barrera’s Departure

On Wednesday, Paramount Studios turned the spotlight on their latest horror film,…
Brawl erupts in Ohio courtroom after judge hands down reduced sentence for teen killer

Outrage in Ohio: Courtroom Chaos Erupts Over Reduced Sentence for Teen Killer

Tempers flared and chaos unfolded in an Ohio courtroom when two families…
Chicago community leaders, including Mayor Johnson, celebrate successes in violence prevention at South Shore Cultural Center

Mayor Johnson and Chicago Community Leaders Applaud Progress in Violence Prevention at South Shore Cultural Center Event

On Tuesday, Chicago’s battle against gun violence took center stage at the…
Inside the luxurious love nest where Mexican drug lord ‘El Mencho' spent his final days

Exploring the Opulent Hideaway of Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Mencho’ in His Final Days

The opulent yet disorderly hideout where notorious drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho”…
Child predator dubbed 'monster parents fear most' cleared for release through California parole program

Controversial Parole Decision: Infamous Child Predator Set for Release Sparks Outrage in California

A notorious California child molester, once labeled as “the monster parents fear…
Trump's trade czar reveals why Supreme Court is likely to back WH in next big tariff challenge

Trump’s Trade Representative Outlines Supreme Court’s Potential Support for White House in Upcoming Tariff Dispute

WASHINGTON — Peter Navarro, President Trump’s top advisor on trade and manufacturing,…
Ohio courtroom devolves into chaos after sentencing in death of teen

Explosive Ohio Courtroom Drama: Unraveling Chaos After Teen’s Tragic Sentencing

Emotions reached a boiling point within an Ohio courtroom on Tuesday when…
Tires slashed on 7 NYPD Strategic Response Group cop cars parked in Brooklyn

Vandalism Strike: NYPD Strategic Response Group’s Fleet Targeted with Tire Slashings in Brooklyn

In a bold act of vandalism, seven NYPD vehicles belonging to the…