The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to halt the execution of Missouri death row inmate Brian Dorsey, who is set to be put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday night. Dorsey, 52, was convicted of murdering his cousin and her husband nearly 20 years ago. The Supreme Court rejected two separate bids to intervene in Dorsey's case, with no noted dissents. Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, confirmed that the state would move forward with Dorsey's death sentence, despite a plea for clemency from over 70 current and former corrections officers who argued that Dorsey had been rehabilitated.

Dorsey pleaded guilty to shooting and killing his cousin, Sarah Bonnie, and her husband, Ben Bonnie, at their home in 2006. Prosecutors accused Dorsey of sexually assaulting his cousin after the murders. Dorsey then stole items from the Bonnies' home to repay a drug debt. The bodies were discovered by Sarah Bonnie's parents after the couple failed to show up for a family gathering. Dorsey confessed to the murders and was sentenced to death.

Dorsey's attorneys argued that his court-appointed lawyers had a conflict of interest due to being paid a flat fee of $12,000 each, which they said pressured Dorsey to plead guilty without an agreement from prosecutors to not seek the death penalty. They also raised concerns about Missouri's execution protocol, which does not include the use of anesthetics during the lethal injection process. Dorsey's attorneys described him as obese, diabetic, and a former intravenous drug user, making it difficult to establish IV lines for the lethal injection.

A federal lawsuit was filed on Dorsey's behalf, alleging that the lack of anesthetic during the procedure known as a “cutdown” would cause extreme pain and hinder his ability to freely exercise his religion by preventing meaningful interaction with his spiritual adviser. A settlement was reached between Dorsey's attorneys and the state on Saturday to limit the risk of extreme pain during Dorsey's execution.

The fate of Dorsey now rests with the U.S. Supreme Court, with two appeals still pending. One appeal focuses on Dorsey's record of good behavior in prison, while the other argues that his trial lawyers had a conflict of interest due to their flat fee payment. Dorsey would be the first person in Missouri to be executed this year if the execution proceeds as scheduled.