Key Takeaways:

• Demetrius Frazier was executed on Thursday in Alabama, marking the fourth use of nitrogen gas for capital punishment in the U.S.
• This execution follows significant controversy regarding the effectiveness and humanity of nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution.
• Frazier was convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of 41-year-old Pauline Brown, for which he received a death sentence in Alabama.
• His appeals for clemency were declined, and the execution was carried out despite arguments against the nitrogen gas method.

Demetrius Terrence Frazier, a 52-year-old inmate, was executed at 6:36 p.m. CST on February 6, 2025, in Alabama, for the brutal murder of Pauline Brown in 1991. This marks a pivotal moment as it is the fourth execution in the United States using the controversial nitrogen gas method, with Alabama having pioneered this execution technique last year. Prosecutors described Frazier's crime, where he broke into Brown's Birmingham apartment while she slept, demanded money, raped her at gunpoint, and ultimately shot her in the head, as utterly vicious. Following the murder, Frazier returned to the apartment to snack and search for additional money, demonstrating a shocking level of disregard for his victim's life.

Frazier's execution was the first in Alabama in 2025 and the third in the U.S. for the year, following lethal injections in Texas and South Carolina. In a statement before his execution, Frazier expressed remorse to Brown’s family while also criticizing Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her inaction regarding his potential return to Michigan where he was serving a life sentence for a previous murder. Frazier's mother and various anti-death penalty activists had appealed to Governor Whitmer to bring Frazier back to Michigan since the state does not permit capital punishment. However, the Michigan Attorney General's office indicated that they did not desire Frazier to return.

The use of nitrogen hypoxia, which replaces oxygen in the body with nitrogen, raises questions regarding its humaneness and effectiveness. While Alabama officials describe it as a “humane” method, critics argue that it remains largely untested and may lead to inhumane suffering. During the execution, Frazier exhibited movements that hinted at distress; he raised and moved his arms and legs before eventual stillness. Commission reports indicate that the flow of nitrogen lasted approximately 18 minutes and that Frazier ceased to show a heartbeat 13 minutes after the procedure began.

The execution followed a determined rejection by a federal judge to halt the process, despite arguments regarding the speed and reliability of nitrogen gas. Previous executions using the method had documented distressing movements and indications of pain, complicating the legality and ethics of using nitrogen gas as a means for capital punishment.

For further information, please refer to the original articles from AP News, USA Today, CBS News, and India Times.