Murderers Anthony Wainwright and Gregory Hunt executed one hour apart in Florida and Alabama

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

Two convicted murderers have been dealt the ultimate penalty within an hour of each other, as authorities in America carried out a double execution day.

Death penalty executions have been on the rise in recent years, and the sanctioned killings of Anthony Wainwright in Florida and Gregory Hunt in Alabama on Tuesday were recorded as the fourth double execution day of the year so far.

Wainwright and Hunt had been languishing in jail since their convictions for rape and murder offences in 1994 and 1988 respectively.

Wainwright, who raped and murdered 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart — a married mother of two and nursing student who was kidnapped from in a grocery store parking lot — was executed by lethal injection just after 6pm.

Just before 7pm local time on Tuesday, Alabama state authorities used a controversial nitrogen gas method to execute Hunt for the 1988 rape and murder of 32-year-old Karen Lane, a woman he had been dating for a month.

The two executions mark the nation’s 20th and 21st executions of 2025 and signal 2025 as the most prolific year for death penalty killings in over a decade.

Hunt was pronounced dead at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore at 6.26pm.

It was the fifth nitrogen gas execution in Alabama since January 2024, and the sixth in the nation overall.

A journalist who acted as a witness in the viewing area has described the macabre scene as the lethal gas took its toll on Hunt.

“When the curtains to the death chamber opened, Hunt was strapped to a gurney, wrapped in a white sheet and had a mask over his face,” according to Alex Gladden, a witness to the execution for the Montgomery Advertiser, a part of the USA TODAY group.

“At 5.57pm Hunt began gasping and lifted his head. Then his entire body began convulsing. He lifted his head again two minutes later before his head fell back and he groaned loudly.

“Hunt’s head continued to move, and he kept gasping for several minutes before he appeared to take his last breath at 6.04pm. His left fist remained clenched long afterwards.”

Wainwright used his final moments to apologise to his victim’s family but also to rally against the death penalty and the Florida court system, which he said was “broken”.

“To the family of Carmen Gayheart, I hope my death brings you peace and healing,” Wainwright said in his last statement.

“Please continue the fight. Because I can promise you they are not going to let up,” Wainwright called out to those fighting the death penalty.

“They will continue to murder if we continue to let it happen.”

Wainwright then addressed his fiancée, Samantha Wainwright, who has adopted his last name.

“You are the love of my life. I’m so blessed we found each other. The years we have spent together have been beyond wonderful, they’ve been downright magical,” he said.

“Love is stronger than death, and I know our love will last for eternity.”

The two sides of the death penalty argument were on show during the hours leading to the executions, with the families of the slain women speaking out, and advocates against capital punishment also decrying the deaths.’

Ms Gayheart’s sister, Maria David, told USA TODAY that before her murder, “she loved animals, she loved people, she loved her children, she loved her husband.”

“I look a lot like my sister,” Ms David added.

“I’m hoping that he (Wainwright) sees a glimpse of Carmen one more time before he goes to where he’s going.”

Rev. Jeff Hood, a death row spiritual adviser, said he had to make a choice between being in person to support Wainwright or Hunt, before deciding to be with Wainwright in the death chamber.

“It seems to me there’s enough days in the year that executions shouldn’t have to be stacked on top of each other,” Rev. Hood said.