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Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has scheduled the execution of Demetrius Terrence Frazier, 52, to take place between 12 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, and 6 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 7. Frazier was convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of Pauline Brown in Birmingham. The execution is set to be carried out using nitrogen hypoxia, a method that induces death by replacing oxygen in the lungs with nitrogen, leading to asphyxiation.
This execution will mark Alabama’s fourth use of nitrogen hypoxia, following its inaugural application in January 2024. The method has been a subject of debate, with critics arguing that it may cause “conscious suffocation,” potentially violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Witnesses to previous executions have reported observing convulsions and labored breathing, raising concerns about the method’s humaneness. The state maintains that these movements are involuntary and asserts that nitrogen hypoxia results in a quick death.
In 2024, Alabama led the nation in executions, carrying out six death sentences, the highest number for any state that year. This tied a state record, matching the totals for 2009 and 2010. The increased use of capital punishment in Alabama has drawn both support and criticism, reflecting the ongoing national debate over the death penalty.
Frazier’s attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the execution unless the state revises its protocol, arguing that nitrogen hypoxia causes undue suffering. The state has requested the dismissal of the lawsuit, noting that Frazier had previously selected nitrogen hypoxia as his preferred execution method.
As the scheduled execution date approaches, the debate over the use of nitrogen hypoxia in capital punishment continues, with legal challenges and ethical considerations at the forefront.
