US Supreme Court rejects appeal of Arizona inmate

PHOENIX - The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down the appeal of an Arizona inmate whose execution was stayed last year.

Daniel Wayne Cook was scheduled to be executed April 5 for killing a man and a teenage boy in 1987 in Lake Havasu City.

On April 4, the high court stayed the execution until it ruled on Cook's claims of ineffective counsel during post-conviction proceedings.

Last week, the justices ruled in the case of another Arizona inmate convicted of sexual conduct with a minor in 2002. They determined if the attorney's errors caused procedural problems, the issues could be heard in federal court.

The Arizona Republic says attorneys for Cook and Arizona will likely argue whether that opinion applies to Cook's case before a new execution date is set.