The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has granted a stay to Marcus Druery, who had been scheduled to die this coming Wednesday. The appeals court released an order Friday afternoon halting the execution and saying that further review of Druery’s competence was necessary.
The 32-year-old has been diagnosed as schizophrenic by prison and private doctors. On Tuesday, a Brazos County judge refused to order a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether the inmate can understand his legal situation.
Brazos County District Attorney Bill Turner said prosecutors do not dispute that Druery has a mental disorder, but they believe he’s competent enough to face execution.
