Supreme Court denies convicted Missouri killer’s appeals

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted a temporary stay of execution for a Missouri man convicted of killing a jewelry store owner during a 1991 robbery, denying last-minute appeals that in part challenged the drug to be used. The Supreme Court late Wednesday also vacated a stay from the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of appeals that had prevented the execution of Herbert Smulls, 56. Lawyers for Smulls filed another request with the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay late on Wednesday, and it was not immediately clear whether Missouri would be allowed to carry out his execution before the state's death warrant expires at midnight. Smulls was convicted of shooting jewelry-store owner Stephen Honickman to death while robbing his store in July 1991.