The Supreme Court has lifted the pause on Christa Pike's execution, clearing the way for it to go forward, SCOTUSblog reports.
In a brief, unsigned order, the court lifted a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. That ruling had paused the execution shortly before it was scheduled to take place on Wednesday morning (September 30).
The order was unsigned and brief, and the justices gave no explanation for the decision.
The appellate court's stay had put the timing of the execution in doubt at the last minute. The Supreme Court's order vacated that stay and sided with the state.
The sequence ran fast: a stay issued just before the scheduled time, then undone by the nation's highest court. The execution date turned on rulings made within hours of each other.
With the stay vacated, the execution is free to proceed. It was set for Wednesday morning (September 30).