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| John Errol Ferguson execution stopped again | John Errol Ferguson execution stopped again |
| (4 months later) | |
| A US court has again blocked the scheduled execution of the serial killer John Errol Ferguson, who was convicted of eight murders in south Florida in the 1970s. | A US court has again blocked the scheduled execution of the serial killer John Errol Ferguson, who was convicted of eight murders in south Florida in the 1970s. |
| The decision by the 11th US circuit court of appeals came during a flurry of court rulings over claims that 64-year-old John Errol Ferguson has a mental illness so severe he cannot be executed. Ferguson, a paranoid schizophrenic with delusions he's the "prince of God", had faced a planned lethal injection at 6pm on Tuesday in Florida's death chamber. Judges stepped in a few hours before that to halt proceedings. | The decision by the 11th US circuit court of appeals came during a flurry of court rulings over claims that 64-year-old John Errol Ferguson has a mental illness so severe he cannot be executed. Ferguson, a paranoid schizophrenic with delusions he's the "prince of God", had faced a planned lethal injection at 6pm on Tuesday in Florida's death chamber. Judges stepped in a few hours before that to halt proceedings. |
| The state immediately appealed against the stay but the appeals court set a schedule for motions that may delay the execution at least until the first week of November. | The state immediately appealed against the stay but the appeals court set a schedule for motions that may delay the execution at least until the first week of November. |
| Ferguson was convicted of shooting eight bound and blindfolded people in south Florida in 1977, then killing a teenage couple months later in 1978 after they left a church event to get some ice cream. He had previously been ruled mentally competent to be executed and over recent days federal judges in Florida, Georgia and Washington have wrestled with his appeals. | Ferguson was convicted of shooting eight bound and blindfolded people in south Florida in 1977, then killing a teenage couple months later in 1978 after they left a church event to get some ice cream. He had previously been ruled mentally competent to be executed and over recent days federal judges in Florida, Georgia and Washington have wrestled with his appeals. |
| The execution had been scheduled after the Florida supreme court this month upheld a lower court ruling based on testimony by a panel of psychiatrists appointed by the state governor, Rick Scott. The state justices wrote that "Ferguson understands what is taking place and why". | The execution had been scheduled after the Florida supreme court this month upheld a lower court ruling based on testimony by a panel of psychiatrists appointed by the state governor, Rick Scott. The state justices wrote that "Ferguson understands what is taking place and why". |
| The latest ruling from the federal appeals court said it would explore whether the Florida supreme court's decision was an "unreasonable determination of the facts" based on Ferguson's documented history of mental illness. | The latest ruling from the federal appeals court said it would explore whether the Florida supreme court's decision was an "unreasonable determination of the facts" based on Ferguson's documented history of mental illness. |
| His lawyers have argued that Ferguson lacks rational understanding, because he suffers from delusions and believes God is preparing him to return to Earth after his execution to save the US from a communist plot. | His lawyers have argued that Ferguson lacks rational understanding, because he suffers from delusions and believes God is preparing him to return to Earth after his execution to save the US from a communist plot. |
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