U.S Supreme Court temporarily halts execution of convicted Missouri killer: court

Mark Christeson is pictured in this April, 21, 2014 handout photo. Christeson, 35, is scheduled to die by lethal injection early October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Missouri Department of Corrections/Handout via Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S Supreme Court late on Tuesday temporarily halted the execution of a convicted Missouri killer while the court decides whether or not to hear his appeal. Mark Christeson, 35, is scheduled to die by lethal injection in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday. He was convicted of murder 16 years ago. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Robert Birsel)