USA - Missouri. Uncertainty remains over the execution of Russell Bucklew as Supreme Court action looms.

Uncertainty remains over the execution of Russell Bucklew as Supreme Court action looms. A day after a series of appeals, court rulings and judicial reversals halted an execution in Missouri, the inmate's fate remained in limbo as all eyes turned to the Supreme Court for a final decision. Missouri was prepared to execute Bucklew at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. But following a seesawing series of court announcements during several hours Tuesday night, Bucklew's execution was ultimately halted - for the time being. His attorneys had asked the courts for a stay of execution owing to a medical condition of Bucklew's that they said causes weak blood vessels to grow in his face and neck, causing growths that obstruct his airway. They had filed a request for a stay with a U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, which denied the request Monday. They also filed appeals requesting a stay with the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. On Tuesday, several hours before Bucklew was scheduled to die, a federal appeals court panel halted the execution. The panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Kansas City granted the 60-day stay, writing that undisputed medical evidence submitted by his attorneys made it clear that Bucklew would likely endure "unnecessary pain and suffering beyond the constitutionally permissible amount inherent in all executions." However, a few hours later, the full appeals court ruled that the execution could still proceed. The court offered little explanation in writing that "the stay of execution granted by the panel is vacated." A short time after that, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. halted the execution again, this time writing in an order that the execution would be stayed "pending further order" from Alito or the full court. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster issued a statement late Tuesday night, saying that the full Supreme Court would consider the issue Wednesday. The execution warrant allowing the state to kill Bucklew remains valid until 12 a.m. Thursday, Koster said. As a result, the court's action - or inaction, if the court doesn't make a decision during that window - will determine whether the state carries out its 5th lethal injection of the year Wednesday.