Death Row Inmate Lethal Gas Request Gets Supreme Court Look

A Missouri death row inmate with an “exceedingly rare disease” got the U.S. Supreme Court April 30 to consider whether he can be killed by lethal gas instead of lethal injection.

In agreeing to review the method-of-execution claim, the justices will take on the odd question of what an inmate needs to show to be executed differently from the way the state wants to do it.

The grant comes after the court agreed March 20 to stay Russell Bucklew’s execution over the dissent of four justices, including Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., for whom noting such disagreement with execution ...