Missouri Gov denies clemency request to Russell Bucklew hours before his potentially “gruesome” execution… which went forward seemingly without difficulty

As reported in this CNN article, headlined “A man set to be executed tonight could suffer a ‘gruesome’ death because of his rare disease, activists say,” the last person in Missouri who could have readily stopped a high-profile execution has decided to allow it to go forward tonight.  Here are the details:

Missouri’s governor has refused to stop what activists say would be “one of the most gruesome” executions in US history.

Russell Bucklew, 51, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) Tuesday. He was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary in 1997.

Gov. Mike Parson turned down a clemency request, said his press office, without providing additional detail.

Bucklew suffers from a rare blood vessel disorder called cavernous hemangioma.  The disease can cause tumors in the head and regular bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes and ears.  An execution by lethal injection could cause prolonged suffocation and excruciating pain, Bucklew’s attorneys have said.  Bucklew argued the state should consider death by lethal gas as an alternative.

In April, the Supreme Court ruled against Bucklew in a 5-4 decision, which means plans for the lethal injection can proceed.  Justice Neil Gorsuch said the Eighth Amendment “does not demand the avoidance of all risk of pain” in carrying out executions….

But the American Civil Liberties Union said executing Bucklew would violate the Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.  “What makes (Bucklew’s) execution different is that he has a medical condition that would make it one of the most gruesome in U.S. history,” the ACLU wrote.  It said Bucklew’s tumors “will likely rupture during the lethal injection process, causing him to hemorrhage, choke, and suffocate in his own blood.”…

Bucklew was convicted of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s presumed new boyfriend, Michael Sanders, and firing at Sanders’ son before kidnapping Stephanie Ray Pruitt.  After raping his ex-girlfriend, court documents state, Bucklew was involved in a gunfight in which he and a Missouri state trooper were injured.

UPDATE: This AP article reports that the execution of Russell Bucklew went forward in the state of Missouri this evening and seemingly was not gruesome at all:

A Missouri man was executed Tuesday for killing a man during a violent 1996 crime spree, despite concerns the inmate’s rare medical condition would cause a gruesome lethal injection. Russell Bucklew was executed at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It was Missouri’s first execution since January 2017….

Bucklew looked around and twitched his feet beneath the sheet as he lay on the gurney just before the lethal injection. He suddenly took a deep breath and all movement stopped. He showed no outward signs of distress.

Cheryl Pilate, one of Bucklew’s attorney’s, said several steps were taken to try to ensure that he didn’t suffer, including sedating him prior to the execution and elevating the gurney to help prevent him from choking. “We believe the significant efforts that went into making this a less horrible process were beneficial,” Pilate said.