Alabama executes Demetrius Frazier, fourth inmate with nitrogen gas

Demetrius Terrence Frazier, 52, was executed by the state of Alabama on Thursday, marking the fourth death row execution in the U.S. using nitrogen gas. Frazier was convicted for the 1991 rape and murder of 41-year-old Pauline Brown after breaking into her Birmingham apartment. In his final words, he expressed remorse for the crime and criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for not intervening in his case, as he was originally serving a life sentence in Michigan, which does not have the death penalty. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey emphasized that justice was served for the victim and her family, stating that rapists and murderers would not be tolerated in the state. Frazier's execution was the first in Alabama this year and followed a series of three nitrogen gas executions in 2024. Advocates had previously urged Whitmer to bring Frazier back to Michigan to avoid his execution, but the state's attorney general confirmed it would not pursue that option.