Missouri Murder's Execution Today:  Lawyers for Missouri murderer Russell Bucklew are asking the Supreme Court to halt his execution today claiming that his medical condition could result in a "gruesome and painful"  death.  Kelsey Anderson of WISTV reports that Bucklew won a last minute stay by the high court in 2014 to allow further consideration of his medical condition.  His lawyer now argues that the condition has gotten worse and that the state should use lethal gas for the execution, knowing full well that there is no gas chamber in Missouri.  Associated Press reporter Jim Salter describes how Bucklew slashed his girlfriend's face, beat her and threatened to kill her in 1996 when she broke up with him.  After stalking her for two weeks, Bucklew learned she was staying with a new boyfriend.  He broke into the home, shot and killed the boyfriend, and pistol-whipped her, then dragged her handcuffed to his car and raped her.  Bucklew was arrested after a police chase and gunfight which wounded one officer.  He later escaped from jail, went to the home of his ex-girlfriend's mother and attacked her with a hammer before he was recaptured.  The ACLU said that executing Bucklew would amount to torture, and that he should be allowed to live out his life in prison.   On March 15, Alabama executed Wayne Eggers for the 2,000 kidnapping, robbery and murder of a Talladega man.  On March 16, Georgia executed Calton Gary, the "stocking strangler," for the 1977 rapes and murders of three elderly women.  Both executions occurred without incident.

Update:  The Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star reports that by a 5-4 vote, SCOTUS granted a temporary stay of Bucklew's execution to, once again, consider his medical condition.  Justice Anthony Kennedy provided the critical vote.  "We are thrilled and relieved and look forward to continuing to work with Rusty," his defense attorney Cheryl Pilate told The Star on Tuesday evening.  Except for the murder and brutal assaults, Rusty seems like a really nice guy.


ICE Nabs Criminal Aliens in Oakland:  Weeks after Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warned criminal illegal aliens that ICE would be rounding them up for deportation, agents caught three who had evaded arrest.  Adam Shaw of Fox News reports that after giving the warning, Schaaf responded to critics "I do not regret sharing this information," she said last month. "It is Oakland's legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together."  On Tuesday agents arrested three aliens targeted in last month's raid that Mayor Schaaf thinks keep Oakland safer.  The three, all Mexican nationals, included one arrested on robbery and gun crimes, released prior to trial despite an ICE request to detain him.  Another who had been deported three times, had priors for DUI, false imprisonment and wife beating.  The third, had been deported twice for drug offenses, DUI, and hit and run, was arrested for beating his wife.