‘Torturous Death’ Concern Raised For Missouri Inmate

Attorneys for a condemned Missouri man are asking a federal court to spare his life, saying lethal injection of Russell Bucklew could result in a "torturous" death.

The court actions filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, include a civil rights complaint along with a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

Bucklew is scheduled to die May 21 for killing a romantic rival as part of a violent crime spree in southeast Missouri in 1996.

Attorney Lindsay Runnels says Bucklew suffers from a medical condition that increases the risk that something could go wrong during the execution. She says the condition was diagnosed before he was incarcerated and causes weakened and malformed blood vessels.