Conn. Att'y Gen'l: Let Ross Die

HARTFORD, Conn. – Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (search) asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to dissolve a temporary stay that was the last remaining obstacle to New England's first execution in 45 years.

The request was filed Friday afternoon with the nation's highest court. There was no immediate indication of when it would be heard.

A 10-day restraining order was issued by U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny (search) on Wednesday after serial killer Michael Ross' (search) father, Dan Ross, filed a civil lawsuit, against his son's wishes, to stop the execution.

Michael Ross is on death row for the murders of four women in eastern Connecticut in the 1980s, but has admitted killing eight women in Connecticut and New York. He decided last year to forgo further appeals.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Friday agreed to lift the restraining order, but not until 12:01 a.m. Sunday to give Ross' father a chance to appeal.

Blumenthal asked the high court to vacate the stay immediatly to allow the execution to go forward as scheduled at 2:01 a.m. Saturday. He argued there is no reason for further delays.

"This action is Dan Ross's third attempt to stop the execution of his son, Michael Ross, who has been found competent by four seperate courts, including the Connecticut Supreme Court, is represented by counsel, and has expressed his intention not to seek further appeals of his sentence," Blumenthal wrote in his petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Richard Bieder, a partner in the law firm representing Dan Ross, said his office was notified by the U.S. Supreme Court shortly after 4 p.m. that the attorney general's office filed a motion to vacate the stay.

"This is supposed to be a civilized society. One wonders why there is this rush to kill a man a day early when what they're doing may be wrong," Beider said. "There's mounting evidence there were other reasons why Ross is saying he wants to be executed."

Bieder said Dan Ross' attorney, Antonio Povert III, had until around 5:30 p.m. to respond to the attorney general's offices motion, as well as file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the appellate court's decision earlier on Friday.

A call was placed to Blumenthal seeking comment.

Ross, 45, is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection at 2:01 a.m. Saturday at Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers, Conn. He has confessed to killing eight young women in Connecticut and New York, raping many of them.