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Jimmy Lee Gray's gas chamber execution descended into horror as he convulsed violently and battered his head against a metal pole, forcing witnesses to be evacuated
The killer was executed in a gas chamber (Image: Getty Images)
The gas chamber was once the principal means of execution in most US states, but this shifted following the death of serial killer Jimmy Lee Gray.
Even before his capital offence, Gray was notorious for his violent conduct and petty crimes.
At just 19, Gray's violent intentions intensified when he savagely murdered his 16-year-old girlfriend, Elda Louise Prince, in Arizona.
Despite the horrific nature of his crime, Gray was freed after serving just seven years of a 20-to-life sentence.
Less than a year afterwards, he struck again. On 25 June 1976, three year old Deressa Jean Scales vanished after being left unsupervised outside for just 10 minutes.
Close up of the chair in a Gas Chamber (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
While her whereabouts remained unknown for some time, it soon became evident the worst had happened.
Gray had enticed the child into his car, driven to an isolated location, sexually assaulted her, and suffocated her by forcing her face into mud.
When interrogated by detectives, he broke down in a lift, exclaiming: "If I take you to her, will you help me?', subsequently leading the police directly to the child's body.
So appalling were his crimes that even Gray's own mother pleaded with the courts not to show mercy, writing to authorities imploring them to "show no mercy".
However, nothing could have prepared onlookers for the horrific scenes that unfolded inside the antiquated gas chamber at Mississippi State Penitentiary.
Jimmy Lee Gray was a brutal killer (Image: Wikipedia)
A vertical steel pole stood directly behind the execution chair. Critically, there was no headrest, no restraint, and consequently nothing to prevent Gray's head from striking the metal should he begin to convulse.
At 12:10am, cyanide pellets were released into acid beneath his chair.
As the deadly gas ascended, Gray instantly started convulsing with tremendous violence.
His features contorted in torment.His body strained against the restraints.
Then, with an abrupt spasm, he hurled his head backward, and started repeatedly battering his skull against the metal pole, groaning in anguish with each impact.
With horrified witnesses watching, authorities decided to evacuate the chamber because spectators were unable to endure watching the ordeal.
Medical professionals confirmed his heart continued pumping for a torturous 12 additional minutes before he was eventually declared deceased.
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A prominent execution specialist subsequently described the technique as "so painful we wouldn't use it on laboratory animals".
Within 12 months, Mississippi proceeded to eliminate gas executions for future sentences.
English (US) · 