JIM SALTER, Associated Press

 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Attorneys for a condemned Missouri inmate remain hopeful that a court will halt his execution even though the governor has shown little inclination to do so himself.

Russell Bucklew’s attorneys have appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to halt his execution, which is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

They say the 46-year-old Bucklew suffers from a condition that can cause weakened and malformed blood vessels. They also say the secrecy surrounding the state’s execution drug increases the risk of him suffering through an agonizing death if given a lethal injection.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon told The Associated Press on Monday that he’s considering Bucklew’s clemency request but hadn’t seen a reason to intervene.

It would be the first U.S. execution since Oklahoma’s botched procedure last month.