The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a stay of execution for Missouri death row inmate Russell Bucklew after a series of legal decisions in the last twenty-four hours saw his fate rollercoaster through the federal court system.

The nation’s highest court granted its stay Wednesday morning, giving credence to  the arguments of Bucklew’s lawyers who say his rare blood condition coupled with secrecy surrounding the lethal injection cocktail now in use by the state of Missouri could lead to “undue suffering” during his execution.

“The state does not have the right to inflict extreme, torturous pain during an execution,” said Cheryl Pilate, part of Bucklew’s legal team. “We still hope that Mr. Bucklew’s grave medical condition and compromised airway will persuade the governor or a court to step back from this extremely risky execution.”

The court did not make specific comments on the case, but the stay is in effect until midnight Wednesday and his case in now under their consideration.

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT