Mississippi Supreme Court orders hearing for prisoner seeking execution

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered a death row prisoner to appear before a trial judge to determine if he's competent enough to request an execution date, giving up his chance of an appeal.

The state's highest court on Friday said Blayde Grayson must appear under oath before the Circuit Court of George County to officially request the execution date. If he does, the circuit court judge must determine if Grayson should be evaluated to determine if he's competent to waive his appeals and if his decision was made voluntarily.

Grayson submitted a letter dated Dec. 2 to the Mississippi Supreme Court asking for his execution to be "carried out forthwith."

Grayson, 46, has been on death row since 1997 after he was convicted of murdering 78-year-old Minnie Smith while burglarizing her home near the Pascagoula River flats. Authorities said the woman received more than 30 stab wounds in the attack.