Connect with us

Southeast

Alabama sets third execution by nitrogen gas

Published

on

Alabama sets third execution by nitrogen gas

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey set Nov. 21 as the date for what will be the third death sentence in the country to be carried out by nitrogen gas — and all will have happened in Alabama.

The execution date for Carey Dale Grayson, 49, was scheduled after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that it could be carried out. Grayson was one of four then-teenagers convicted in the 1994 killing of 37-year-old Vickie Deblieux.

In January, Alabama became the first state to use nitrogen gas for an execution when it carried out the death penalty for convicted killer Kenneth Smith, who survived an execution attempt by lethal injection in 2022. The execution method, which has been criticized as being inhumane and a form of torture, killed Smith after he appeared to shake and writhe on the gurney, sometimes pulling against the restraints before several minutes of heavy breathing until breathing was no longer perceptible.

INDIANA SEEKS TO CARRY OUT FIRST EXECUTION IN 15 YEARS AFTER OBTAINING LETHAL INJECTION DRUG

Carey Dale Grayson, 49, is scheduled to be executed by nitrogen gas on Nov. 21. (Alabama Department of Corrections via AP)

Advertisement

Smith’s execution was the first time that a new execution method had been used in the U.S. since lethal injection, which is now the most commonly used form of capital punishment, was introduced in 1982.

A second execution using nitrogen gas for Alan Eugene Miller, who also survived an execution attempt by lethal injection in 2022, is scheduled for Sept. 26. Miller reached a “confidential settlement agreement” with the state earlier this month to end his lawsuit over the specifics of the nitrogen gas protocol.

Grayson has an ongoing lawsuit seeking to block the state from using the same protocol that was used to execute Smith, with his attorneys arguing the method causes unconstitutional levels of pain and that Smith displayed signs of “conscious suffocation.”

Matt Schulz, an assistant federal defender representing Grayson, said last week he and his client are disappointed the execution was authorized before the federal courts had a chance to review Grayson’s challenge to the constitutionality of Alabama’s current nitrogen protocol.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT IS ‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’ BY ALABAMA’S EXECUTION OF MAN USING NITROGEN GAS

Advertisement

Alabama became the first state to use nitrogen gas for an execution earlier this year. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Grayson was charged with torturing and killing Deblieux on Feb. 21, 1994, as she was hitchhiking from Tennessee to her mother’s home in Louisiana. Four teenagers, including Grayson, offered her a ride and took her to a wooded area where they attacked and beat her before throwing her off a cliff, according to prosecutors, who said the teenagers later mutilated her body.

Three of the teenagers — Grayson, Kenny Loggins and Trace Duncan — were all convicted and sentenced to death. Loggins and Duncan, who were under 18 at the time of the crime, had their death sentences set aside after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of the crime cannot be executed. Grayson was unable to escape the death penalty after the ruling since he was 19 when the crime was committed.

The fourth teenager was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Advertisement

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southeast

Florida man suspected of killing 6 in shooting spree at 2 residences identified

Published

on

Florida man suspected of killing 6 in shooting spree at 2 residences identified

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A man in Florida who allegedly gunned down six people in a shooting spree at two properties in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale before killing himself has been identified, authorities said. 

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Russell Kot, 51, had “been in a previous romantic relationship with one of the victims in Fort Lauderdale,” and that victim was linked to the victims in Sarasota. 

Deputies said they first responded to a 911 call advising that an adult male had been shot early Tuesday afternoon at a home in the Amberlea neighborhood in Sarasota. Neighbors were “actively performing” CPR on that victim in the front yard when deputies arrived, and he was transferred to the Sarasota County Fire Department. That male was later pronounced dead, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. 

“Fearing for the safety of the victim’s wife, deputies entered the residence where they located four additional deceased adult victims — two females and two males,” it added. 

Advertisement

SUSPECT IN FLORIDA GATED COMMUNITY MASS SHOOTING LIKELY LINKED TO EARLIER CROSS-STATE DOUBLE HOMICIDE: SHERIFF

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is seen responding to the scene of the shooting in Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday, Feb. 10. (Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)

“While attempting to identify the victims and potential suspect, detectives received information from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) advising they were working a double homicide and believed the Sarasota shooting to be related to the investigation they are working,” the sheriff’s office said. “FLPD provided suspect vehicle information and advised that following their homicide, the vehicle was captured on camera traveling northbound through Punta Gorda prior to the Sarasota homicide.” 

“Detectives worked with Amberlea HOA representatives and neighbors, and were able to recover video of the suspect’s vehicle entering the neighborhood at 11:01 a.m. The sound of gunfire was captured shortly after on a neighbor’s Ring camera. Approximately 37 minutes later, the male victim, who was found in the front lawn, was captured entering the neighborhood in his vehicle. The victim approached the front door where he was shot,” deputies also said. 

Kot was found dead inside the Sarasota home, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Advertisement

It identified the other victims there as Olga Greinert, 49, Florita Stolyar, 66, Anatoly Ioffe, 61 and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39. 

FLORIDA MAN ALLEGEDLY POINTS GUN AT MULTIPLE DRIVERS DURING ROAD RAGE CONFRONTATION

Authorities say six people are dead after a shooting in a gated community in Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday, Feb. 10, that was connected to another in Fort Lauderdale earlier the same day. (FOX 13 Tampa)

“Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect died of self-inflicted wounds, and there are no known documented mental health crises nor history of violence associated with him,” the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said. “The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown.” 

The victims in the Fort Lauderdale shooting, which happened in the Victoria Park neighborhood, were identified as Larisa Blyudaya, 48, and Ben Azivov, 18, according to NBC Miami. 

Advertisement

Joe Askerberg, the property manager of the home where those victims were found, told the station that they were a mother and son.

“Gutted obviously for the whole family involved,” Askerberg said to NBC Miami. “Larisa was so bubbly and never negative; she was always in good spirits.” 

The suspect in both shootings was identified as Russell Kot, 51. (FOX 13 Tampa)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

Kathy Griffin declares herself ‘uncanceled,’ says she was ahead of her time with bloody Trump photo

Published

on

Kathy Griffin declares herself ‘uncanceled,’ says she was ahead of her time with bloody Trump photo

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Comedian Kathy Griffin declared herself “uncanceled” in an interview with NPR affiliate WUSF on Thursday — standing by a photo she posted, years prior, of a bloodied, severed head resembling President Donald Trump. 

In the interview with WUSF, Griffin reflected on the backlash that derailed her career and said audiences are now ready to welcome her back.

After Griffin posted the controversial photo in 2017 of her holding a Halloween mask covered in fake blood that appeared to resemble Trump, members of both parties condemned the photo, accusing it of promoting violence against an elected official.

KATHY GRIFFIN TELLS FANS TO FIND OUT WHICH NEIGHBORS ARE ‘MAGA’ AND ORGANIZE ICE RESISTANCE

Advertisement

Kathy Griffin attends the 2025 Out100 Celebration at Nya Studios in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 21. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Out.com)

“Oh, I think I’m uncanceled, which is a miracle to me, because I didn’t think I would ever be uncanceled,” Griffin said in the WUSF interview.

“It’s more special now that I’m not canceled for me to go back to Tampa, because I haven’t played Tampa in a really long time,” she added.

CONAN O’BRIEN SAYS ‘F TRUMP’ COMICS HAVE BEEN CO-OPTED BY ANGER, ‘JUST SCREAMING’

Kathy Griffin attends the Los Angeles premiere of “Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir” at AMC The Grove 14 on Jan. 20, in Los Angeles, California. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Advertisement

Griffin initially apologized for the image before later retracting the apology and saying she did not regret posting it.

“People still define me by it. Now, I really own it, and I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time,” Griffin said.

“And so, when I look at that picture now, I’m very proud of it,” she continued.

KATHY GRIFFIN SAYS SHE’S MADE ‘TRUMPER FRIENDS’ YEARS AFTER BLOODY TRUMP PHOTO SPARKED OUTRAGE

Kathy Griffin attends the 35th Annual Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City, California, on Oct. 11. (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)

Advertisement

Griffin said Trump acted “like he was scared of me” long before the photo was posted. She added, “He would put four fingers up like a cross, and go, ‘Oh, here she comes. She’s gonna be tough on me. Don’t make fun of the hair.’”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE MEDIA AND CULTURE

Griffin is set to kick off her “New Face, New Tour” show in Orlando on Thursday, saying audiences now give her standing ovations “before I even go out.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

Former Jack Smith deputy involved in prosecuting Trump announces run for office

Published

on

Former Jack Smith deputy involved in prosecuting Trump announces run for office

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

JP Cooney, who worked on the criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump with former special counsel Jack Smith, has mounted a congressional bid in Virginia as a Democrat.

“I was fired by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice because of my work to prosecute him. But I won’t let Trump – or anyone – stop me from serving. I’m J.P. Cooney, and I’m running for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District,” he wrote in a Wednesday post on X.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) reacted to the announcement in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“JP Cooney wants Virginians to believe that weaponizing the law to target President Trump and Republicans and launching sham, politically-motivated investigations that wasted millions of taxpayer dollars is a qualification for public office,” RNC spokeswoman Emma Hall said. “The reality is he’s just another radical Democrat whose only goal is to impeach President Trump and obstruct the America First agenda, even as it delivers historic results for Virginia.”

Advertisement

FIRED TRUMP PROSECUTORS LAUNCH NEW WASHINGTON FIRM THEY SAY WILL BATTLE GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

Former special counsel Jack Smith says the pledge of allegiance before he prepares to testify during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Jan. 22, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Cooney’s LinkedIn profile states, “As Principal Deputy to Special Counsel Jack Smith, Cooney was a lead prosecutor in both criminal prosecutions of President Trump for obstruction of justice and conspiracy.” 

Smith praised Cooney in a statement reported by The New York Times.

JACK SMITH SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLFULLY’ BROKE THE LAW, BLASTS DOJ ‘RETRIBUTION’ IN SECOND TERM

Advertisement

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing from the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2026. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)

“I’ve known J.P. for a long time and I think the world of him as a person and as a public servant,” Smith noted, according to the outlet. “He’s a man of integrity who has committed his career to upholding the rule of law, and he’s the model of who our country needs in public service.”

Cooney aims to run in a district that does not actually exist yet, the Times noted, explaining that Virginia’s 7th Congressional District would be altered under a redistricting push by Democrats. The plan would need to surmount legal challenges and clear a ballot referendum. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM JACK SMITH’S TESTIMONY ON CAPITOL HILL

Former U.S. special counsel Jack Smith, testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigations into President Donald Trump, in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2026. ( SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Advertisement

“Never has there been a Congress that has been such a weak and ineffective check on a president’s abuses of power,” Cooney said, according to the Times. “I lie awake every night worrying that Donald Trump does not have the best interests of our country in mind, and that’s a seismic shift in American leadership and politics.”

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending