Florida ? The U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of convicted child killer Mark Dean Schwab on Thursday, hours before he was scheduled to die.

The move by the high court was widely expected as it considers the appeals of two Kentucky inmates challenging the same lethal three-drug combination used in Florida. The court has blocked executions in three other states since accepting the Kentucky case Sept. 25.

State Attorney General Bill McCollum’s office said it would not challenge the court’s decision.

Schwab was sentenced to death for the murder of 11-year-old Junny Rios-Martinez.