Court ends execution delay in Randolph County double-murder

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A federal appeals court has struck down a lower court judge's stay of execution in the case of a man accused of killing two Randolph County jailers.

The execution of Michael Tisius is back on for Tuesday after the ruling Friday by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. A federal district court judge ruled earlier this week that the lethal injection should be delayed while lawyers argue over new information about a juror in Tisus' sentencing.

According to the stay order, lawyers for Tisius uncovered new information about a juror who had problems reading and writing English. The state disputed that those issues caused affected the sentencing verdict and appealed.

The appeals court's ruling said Tisius and his lawyers did raise an issue that was sufficient enough to establish his innocence and that the claim should have been brought up in an earlier challenge.

Tisius was convicted of shooting and killing two Randolph County jailers during an attempt to free a friend in 2000. Tisius was convicted at 19 years old and has been detained since his conviction in 2001.

Advocacy groups delivered letters to Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday seeking clemency for Tisius.

Check back for updates to this developing story.