Attorneys seek brain scan for Oklahoma death row inmate

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Attorneys for an Oklahoma death row inmate are asking a federal judge to order a psychiatric evaluation and brain scan for their client, who they say is mentally ill and ineligible for execution.

Benjamin Cole was initially scheduled for execution Wednesday, but the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals halted all upcoming executions as the state investigates why the wrong lethal injection drug was sent in a different case.

The appeals court previously rejected Cole’s claims that he is insane. On Tuesday, Cole’s attorneys filed a request in federal court for further medical testing, saying the inmate has schizophrenia and a brain lesion that have rendered him incompetent.

The state argues Cole is competent and understands why he faces execution.

Cole was sentenced to die for killing his 9-month-old daughter.