USA - Missouri. The 8th US circuit court of appeals has granted a 60 days stay of execution for Russell Bucklew

The 8th US circuit court of appeals has granted a 60 days stay of execution for Russell Bucklew, hours before he was to be put to death. The Court agrees with medical evidence presented by Bucklew's lawyers, who argue the risks of a botched procedure are too high. Bucklew, 46, White, was scheduled to die on the 21st at a state prison in Bonne Terre. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips wrote that she could not issue a stay of execution for Bucklew — who shot and killed a friend of his ex-girlfriend and then kidnapped and raped her — because he didn't offer any suggestions for a safer way he could be put to death. Lawyers argued that the inmate's rare congenital condition, known as cavernous hemangioma, had caused malformations of the veins in his face, head and throat that could easily rupture during the execution. The petition said that his medical problem, combined with the one-size-fits-all procedure enshrined in Missouri's death penalty protocol, could cause him to 'cough and choke on his own blood. His vascular abnormalities could also impair the circulation of the lethal drug - leading to a prolonged and excruciating execution." Dismissing a civil rights lawsuit, the court also tossed out his request to have the execution videotaped as evidence of his suffering. Today, in a 2-1 ruling, the appeals court reversed that decision less than 8 hours before Missouri was set to inject Bucklew with a deadly dose of pentobarbital. "Bucklew's unrebutted medical evidence demonstrates the requisite sufficient likelihood of unnecessary pain and suffering beyond the constitutionally permissible amount inherent in all executions”. Bucklew was sentenced to death on May 15, 1997 for the March 21, 1996 shooting death of Michael Sanders, who had given refuge to his abused ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Ray. He also kidnapped and raped the girl and shot at a police officer.