Horror botched execution of serial killer as room had to be cleared | World | News

The gas chamber was once the primary execution method in most US states, but this shifted following the demise of notorious serial killer Jimmy Lee Gray.

Even before his heinous act, Gray had a reputation for violence and minor offences.

At just 19, Gray’s violent streak escalated when he savagely murdered his 16-year-old girlfriend, Elda Louise Prince, in Arizona. Despite the gruesome nature of his crime, Gray was released after serving just seven years of a 20-to-life sentence.

Within less than a year, he struck again. On 25 June 1976, three year old Deressa Jean Scales vanished after being left unattended outside for just 10 minutes.

While her whereabouts remained a mystery for some time, it soon became evident that the worst had happened.

Gray had enticed the child into his car, driven to a remote area, sexually assaulted her, and suffocated her by forcing her face into mud.

When interrogated by detectives, he broke down in a lift, crying out: «If I take you to her, will you help me?’, subsequently leading the police directly to the child’s body. His crimes were so horrific that even Gray’s own mother begged the courts not to show leniency, writing to authorities urging them to «show no mercy».

However, the horrific scenes that unfolded inside the outdated gas chamber at Mississippi State Penitentiary left onlookers unprepared and shocked.

A vertical steel pole was positioned directly behind the execution chair. Crucially, there was no headrest, no restraint, and as a result, nothing to prevent Gray’s head from colliding with the metal if he started to convulse.

At 12:10am, cyanide pellets were dropped into acid beneath his chair. As the lethal gas rose, Gray immediately began convulsing violently.

His face twisted in agony. His body strained against the restraints.

Then, with a sudden jerk, he threw his head backward, and began repeatedly slamming his skull against the metal pole, groaning in pain with each impact.

With numerous horrified witnesses watching, authorities decided to clear the chamber because spectators couldn’t bear to watch the ordeal.

Medical professionals confirmed his heart continued beating for an agonising 12 additional minutes before he was finally pronounced dead.

A leading execution specialist later described the method as «so painful we wouldn’t use it on laboratory animals. «.

Within 12 months, Mississippi decided to abolish gas executions for future sentences.