On February 6, 2025, the state of Alabama carried out the execution of Demetrius Terrence Frazier, a 52-year-old man convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of Pauline Brown. The execution took place at Holman Correctional Facility using nitrogen gas, a method that has been used in the United States only a few times. Frazier’s crime occurred in 1991 when he broke into the apartment of Pauline Brown and committed a violent attack that ultimately led to her death. At the time of his arrest, Frazier was already serving a life sentence in Michigan for the 1992 murder of 14-year-old Crystal Kendrick

On February 6, 2025, the state of Alabama carried out the execution of Demetrius Terrence Frazier, a 52-year-old man convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of Pauline Brown. The execution took place at Holman Correctional Facility using nitrogen gas, a method that has been used in the United States only a few times. Frazier’s crime occurred in 1991 when he broke into the apartment of Pauline Brown and committed a violent attack that ultimately led to her death. At the time of his arrest, Frazier was already serving a life sentence in Michigan for the 1992 murder of 14-year-old Crystal Kendrick. In 2011, he was transferred to Alabama to face charges for Pauline Brown’s death, which resulted in his death sentence. Following his conviction, Frazier’s legal team attempted to halt the execution by challenging the method of nitrogen gas execution, claiming it might lead to unnecessary suffering. However, the court ruled in favor of proceeding with the execution, stating that the method was not unconstitutional. Frazier’s execution took place at 6:10 p.m., and he was declared deceased at 6:36 p.m. His final statement expressed regret for the harm caused, and he apologized to Brown’s family. He also referenced Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, stating he should have been allowed to remain in Michigan to serve his sentence. Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey expressed that the execution was a reflection of justice for Pauline Brown and her family, and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to enforcing its laws and ensuring justice. The use of nitrogen gas for executions has sparked debate due to concerns about its potential ethical implications and the lack of long-term testing. The method involves replacing oxygen with pure nitrogen, which is intended to induce unconsciousness and eventually result in death. The execution of Demetrius Terrence Frazier highlights ongoing discussions about the ethics of capital punishment and the methods employed in carrying out death sentences in the United States. As the country continues to evaluate alternative execution procedures, the legal, ethical, and human rights issues at stake remain subjects of national discourse.

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