Texas to execute woman convicted of killing man for insurance money

By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas is set to execute a woman convicted of leading a plot to kidnap, torture and then beat to death a mentally disabled man to collect insurance money. The state, which executes more people than any other in the United States, plans to execute Suzanne Basso, 59, at 6:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time (2400 GMT) on Wednesday by lethal injection at its death chamber in Huntsville. If the execution goes ahead, Basso would be the 14th woman put to death in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 and the 510th person executed in Texas. Lawyers for Basso have filed an application with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking a stay, arguing that she is not mentally competent and should not be executed.