Jimmy Lee Gray's botched execution saw him convulse violently and bang his head against a steel pole as witnesses were cleared from the room A death row gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison (Image: Getty Images)

While lethal injection is the preferred method of execution in most US States today, there was a time when the gas chamber was the go-to for dispatching the nation's most heinous criminals. The demise of serial killer Jimmy Lee Gray marked a turning point. Even before the crime that led to his capital punishment, Gray was already infamous as a violent offender.

Known locally for minor offences, Gray had a reputation as a violent youngster. At just 19, this violent streak escalated dramatically, with the deranged teen murdering his then 16-year-old girlfriend, Elda Loui

See Full Page