In a 2-1 decision, the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...

In a 2-1 decision, the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has lifted a stay of the execution for James Callahan, who is now scheduled to die at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. The court said that the appeal against the lethal injection was filed too late. The stay had been granted by U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins in Montgomery on Dec. 14. Callahan was convicted for the Feb. 4, 1982 kidnapping and murder of 26-year-old Rebecca Howell. Callahan can still appeal for a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court. Since agreeing to hear a Kentucky challenge to the death penalty last year, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively halted executions nationwide.