An Alabama man convicted of killing a woman in 1988 was put to death Tuesday evening in the nation's sixth execution by nitrogen gas.
Gregory Hunt, 65, was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. at a south Alabama prison, authorities said, one of four scheduled this week in the United States.
Hunt was convicted of capital murder for the killing of Karen Lane, who was 32 when she was killed on Aug. 2, 1988, in the Cordova apartment she shared with another woman in Walker County.
The execution method involves forcing an inmate to breathe pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen needed to stay alive.
Strapped to a gurney with a blue-rimmed mask covering his entire face, Hunt gave no final words but appeared to give a thumbs-up sign and a peace sign with his fingers. The gas began flowing sometime after 5:55 p.m., but it was not clear exactly when.
