UPDATE: Middleton was executed on July 16, after the U.S. Court of Appeals lifted his stay. On July 15, a federal judge in Missouri stayed the execution of John Middleton, less than 24 hours before it was to occur. The judge was concerned that Middleton might be mentally incompetent, and hence ineligible for execution: “Middleton has provided evidence that he has been diagnosed with a variety of mental-health disorders and has received a number of psychiatric medications over the years,” Judge Catherine Perry wrote in her order staying the execution. “[Other] inmates indicate that he frequently talks to people who are not there and tells stories that could not have had any basis in reality.” Middleton’s attorneys have also introduced new evidence to support his claim of innocence. An expert witness who supported the prosecution’s case at trial has now said the murder most likely took place when Middleton was in jail in another state. Kay Parish, an attorney for Middleton, said, “Part of the reason we don’t execute people with mental deficits is that they have more difficulty navigating the system. And I think that’s very true in this case, and I think that’s why he had trouble in the past in getting lawyers or anyone to listen to his claim of innocence or look at this evidence.”

Previous executions in Missouri this year were challenged because of the state’s secrecy surrounding its lethal injection process. One inmate, Russell Bucklew, received a stay because of a rare medical condition that affects his airway and veins, potentially leading to an agonizing execution.

(C. McDaniel, “Citing Mental Health Concerns, Federal Judge Stays Missouri Execution,” St. Louis Public Radio, July 15, 2014). See Innocence and Mental Illness.

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