WASHINGTON, 16 MAG - Il governatore della Florida Jeb Bush, fratello del presidente George W. Bush, ha bloccato in serata, poco prima dell'ora fissata per l'iniezione letale, l'esecuzione della condanna a morte di un uomo che uccise una famiglia di Tampa e strappo' un feto dal ventre della madre.

Il governatore vuole che si accerti se Newton Carlton Slawson, l'uomo di 48 anni che doveva morire ieri per i delitti commessi nel 1989, e' sano di mente.

Bush ha cosi' risposto a una sollecitazione del difensore di Slawson, precisando, pero', che, se l'assassino risultera' capace di intendere e di volere, l'esecuzione avra' luogo ''il

piu' presto possibile''.

Slawson ha recentemente chiesto di essere messo a morte, ''perche' - aveva detto - arriva un momento in cui l'esecuzione e' piu' una liberazione che una pena''.

L'11 aprile 1989, entro' nell'appartamento d'una famiglia di amici con una pistola e un coltello, uccise l'amico di 23 anni e due bambini di 4 e 3 anni, feri' a morte sventrandola la moglie di 21 anni e le strappo' un feto di otto mesi che mori' poco dopo. 

FLORIDA----stay of (volunteer) execution Newton Slawson Upset at Delayed Execution

The convicted killer of four members of a Tampa family had fired his attorneys, dropped his appeals and was ready to die Thursday when he learned an hour before his scheduled execution that he would have to live at least 1 more night.

Newton Carlton Slawson, 48, had had his last meal, read one last time from a "Star Trek" novel, had a vinal visit from his mother and family members and was awaiting a lethal injection set for 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison when he got the word.

The attorneys Slawson fired when he dropped all appeals in 2001 had sent a desperate letter to Gov. Jeb Bush, alleging that Slawson is insane. That forced Bush to temporarily halt the execution so Slawson could be evaluated by psychiatrists late Thursday.

Slawson was in his death watch cell when told of the stay. He was upset by the decision, prison spokesman Sterling Ivey said.

"He wanted the sentence to be carried out tonight," Ivey said late Thursday.

If Slawson is found competent he will be executed at 7 a.m. Friday, without another last meal or another visit from his family, Ivey said.

About 25 protesters who had gathered outside the prison Thursday had a mixed reaction to the stay.

"It's not what he wanted, and he is competent on what he wants," said Fran Waterhouse, wife of death row inmate Robert Waterhouse. She said that although she opposes the death penalty, she thinks Slawson should be able to decide his own fate.

"It's very difficult to tell someone what to do with their life and death," agreed fellow protester Bonnie Flassig.

Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, read the announcement to the crowd but voiced skepticism that Slawson would be found incompetent.

"Doctors they use for mental competency exams have yet to find anyone insane," he told the crowd. He added, "I hope I'm wrong."

Slawson, was convicted in the April 11, 1989, shooting deaths of Gerald and Peggy Wood, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and their 2 young children, Glendon, 3, and Jennifer, 4. Slawson sliced Peggy Wood's body with a knife and pulled out her fetus, which had 2 gunshot wounds and multiple cuts, court records show.

After the attack, Peggy Wood crawled down the stairs of their garage apartment, across a backyard to her mother's home and told her, "Newton did it." She died in her mother's arms.

In his trial, prosecutors claimed Slawson had fantasies about dismembering women. When he was arrested, police found bloody clothing, a bloody knife, a .357 revolver with blood on it, an assault rifle, 180 rounds of ammunition and a Penthouse magazine in which had drawn images of slit bellies on some of the nude photographs.

Defense attorneys argued that Gerald Wood had slipped crack cocaine into Slawson's beer, sending an unstable man into a killing rage.

Slawson's former attorneys, Craig Alldredge and Brian Donerly, said Slawson was mentally ill at the time of the slayings and remains insane.

"He is not mentally competent to represent himself," Donerly said earlier. "The state is helping the mentally ill commit suicide."

At a court hearing in Tampa last month, Slawson told Circuit Judge Rex Barbas he wanted to be executed.

"Judge, let's just end this please," he said.

FLORIDA---stay of impending execution Tampa killer gets stay of execution

Condemned killer Newton Carlton Slawson, who dropped his appeals and fired his attorneys, won at least an overnight stay of execution today from Gov. Jeb Bush.

He had been scheduled to die at 6 p.m. for the deaths of four members of a Tampa family 14 years ago, but Bush issued a stay pending a psychiatric examination to determine if Slawson is mentally competent for execution.

If Slawson is confirmed competent, the execution will take place at 7:30 a.m. Friday, said prison spokesman Sterling Ivey.

The stay came after the governor's office received a letter from Slawson's prior attorneys alleging that Slawson is insane. The letter triggered a state law that requires a stay and orders a psychiatric examination.

The examination was scheduled to held at the prison this evening, Bush's office said.

When word of the stay reached the north Florida prison, Slawson had already had a final meal and had final visits with his mother, 2 uncles and a cousin, Ivey said. He had described Slawson as being "ready to bring an end to all this."

Slawson, 48, was convicted in the April 11, 1989, shooting deaths of Gerald and Peggy Wood, who was 8� months pregnant, and their two young children, Glendon, 3, and Jennifer, 4. Slawson sliced Peggy Wood's body with a knife and pulled out her fetus, which had 2 gunshot wounds and multiple cuts, court records show.

After the attack, Peggy Wood crawled down the stairs of their garage apartment, across a backyard to her mother's home and told her, "Newton did it." She died in her mother's arms.

In his trial, prosecutors claimed Slawson had fantasies about dismembering women. When he was arrested, police found bloody clothing, a bloody knife, a .357 revolver with blood on it, an assault rifle, 180 rounds of ammunition and a Penthouse magazine in which had drawn images of slit bellies on some of the nude photographs.

Defense attorneys argued that Gerald Wood had slipped crack cocaine into Slawson's beer, sending an unstable man into a killing rage.

Slawson's former attorneys, Craig Alldredge and Brian Donerly, said Slawson was mentally ill at the time of the slayings and remains insane.

"He is not mentally competent to represent himself," Donerly said earlier. "The state is helping the mentally ill commit suicide."

At a court hearing in Tampa last month, Slawson told Circuit Judge Rex Barbas he wanted to be executed.

"Judge, let's just end this please," he said.

Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said Slawson and other death row inmates who have volunteered for execution are mentally ill.

"The only time the state will bend over backwards is when a prisoner wants to kill himself," Bonowitz said. "We consider it an assisted suicide."

For the murders, Slawson received 4 death sentences, plus a 30-year sentence on a manslaughter conviction for the death of the fetus.

Since 1990, six of the 34 inmates executed have dropped their appeals. 4 of the 11 executed since 2002, have volunteered for execution.

Last fall, 2 inmates -- serial killer Aileen Wuornos, of Volusia County, and triple murderer Rigoberto Sanchez-Velasco -- were put to death after dropping their appeals.

Slawson would have been the 56th person executed since Florida resumed executions in 1979, the 2nd to die this year and the 13th executed under a death warrant signed by Gov. Jeb Bush.