Lawyers are asking the US Supreme Court to block the execution of an Alabama inmate who they say was mentally ill when he moved to fire his lawyers and drop his appeals. Attorneys wrote in the Monday court filing that Michael Eggers is severely mentally ill and wrongly believes he is the subject of a government conspiracy involving thousands of participants.
Eggers is scheduled to be executed Thursday for the 2000 choking death of Bennie Francis Murray, his boss at a traveling carnival concession business. Eggers had asked to drop his appeals and fire his appointed lawyers. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in December upheld a district court ruling that Eggers was competent to make that decision. The appeal to the Supreme Court was made without his consent.