5 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁The ▁appe als ▁pending ▁before ▁the ▁Court ▁question ed ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁penalty , ▁the ▁sent encing ▁of ▁N un ley ▁before ▁a ▁j ury ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁judge , ▁and ▁the ▁secre cy ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Missouri ▁in ▁acqu iring ▁the ▁drug ▁used ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁execution . ▁ ▁Taylor ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁be ▁executed ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁but ▁was ▁granted ▁a ▁stay ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Circ uit , ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁le th al ▁injection ▁in ▁his ▁case ▁could ▁be ▁cruel ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment . ▁ ▁Missouri ▁asked ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁to ▁vac ate ▁the ▁stay , ▁allowing ▁the ▁execution . ▁ ▁Justice ▁Samuel ▁Al ito , ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁official ▁act ▁on ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁voted ▁with ▁the ▁majority ▁( 6 – 3 ) ▁to ▁refuse ▁Missouri ' s ▁request . ▁ ▁Al ito ' s ▁vote ▁made ▁head lines ▁because ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁vote ▁with ▁Just ices ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia , ▁Clar ence ▁Thomas ▁and ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁John ▁Roberts , ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁wing ▁of ▁the ▁court . ▁ ▁Taylor ▁was ▁subsequently ▁executed ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁after ▁last ▁minute ▁appe als ▁question ing ▁the ▁reli ability ▁of ▁Missouri ' s ▁new , ▁un named ▁supp lier ▁of ▁the ▁execution ▁drug ▁pent obar b ital ▁were ▁turned ▁down