Second last-minute reprieve for US man on death row

A US murderer who claims his mental illness is grounds to spare his life came within minutes of being executed.

Prison guards were preparing to inject Jay D. Scott's veins when a court of appeal asked for a stay of execution.

It was the second last-minute reprieve this year.

The latest delay came after a member of the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals asked that the entire court consider Scott's request for a stay, said Joe Case, spokesman for Attorney General Betty Montgomery.

Mr Case termed the delay "indefinite," pending the court's action.

About two hours earlier, a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court had upheld a judge's ruling that would have allowed the execution to proceed.

The Ohio Supreme Court last month delayed Scott's execution about an hour before it was scheduled to take place, but the court later agreed he was competent to be executed. The US Supreme Court also refused to intervene.

Scott's lawyers argue that their client is schizophrenic. Under Ohio law, an inmate is competent to be executed if he knows of the proceedings against him, why he is being executed and that he will die as a result of the sentence.

Scott was convicted of killing deli owner Vinnie Prince, who was shot in the chest after she prepared food for Scott and an accomplice.