Story highlights Inmate Ledell Lee was convicted of murder in 1995

Arkansas Supreme Court denied Lee's request for a stay

State's plan to execute eight inmates by end of April has been derailed

(CNN) Arkansas' plan to execute a death row inmate was on hold late Thursday as the US Supreme Court considered emergency motions in the case.

The high court issued a temporary stay of the execution of convicted murderer Ledell Lee until 9:30 p.m. ET, or pending further action by the court, whichever comes later.

While the high court was considering Lee's fate, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals denied multiple requests to halt Lee's execution. Earlier Thursday night, the appeals court had issued, then extended, its own temporary stay of the execution, planned for 8 p.m. ET, while it reviewed those requests.

Prison authorities had been expected to proceed with the execution of Lee on Thursday evening after the Arkansas Supreme Court earlier denied his request for a stay and struck down a temporary restraining order on one of the drugs used in the lethal injection process.

Lee was convicted in 1995 in the murder of Debra Reese. If he is put to death, his killing will be Arkansas' first execution since 2005. The state had earlier planned to execute eight inmates over 10 days starting April 17.

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