UNITED STATES NEWS

South Carolina justices refuse to stop state’s first execution in 13 years

Sep 12, 2024, 3:49 PM

FILE - This undated photo provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state'...

FILE - This undated photo provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state's death chamber in Columbia, S.C., including the electric chair, right, and a firing squad chair, left. (South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP, File)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stop the execution of Freddie Owens who is set to die by lethal injection next week in the state’s first execution in 13 years.

The justices unanimously tossed out two requests from defense lawyers who said a court needed to hear new information about what they called a secret deal that kept a co-defendant off death row or from serving life in prison and about a juror who correctly surmised Owens was wearing a stun belt at his 1999 trial.

That evidence, plus an argument that Owens’ death sentence was too harsh because a jury never conclusively determined he pulled the trigger on the shot that killed a convenience store clerk, didn’t reach the “exceptional circumstances” needed to allow Owens another appeal, the justices wrote in their order.

The bar is usually high to grant new trials after death row inmates use up all their appeals. Owens’ lawyers said past attorneys scrutinized his case carefully, but this only came up in interviews as the potential of his death neared.

The decision keeps on track the planned execution of Owens on Sept. 20 at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia.

South Carolina’s pause executions, but its supply of lethal injection drugs expired and companies refused to sell the state more if the transaction was made public.

It took a decade of wrangling in the Legislature — first adding the firing squad as a method and later passing a shield law — to get capital punishment restarted.

Owens, 46, was sentenced to death for killing convenience store clerk Irene Graves in Greenville in 1997. Co-defendant Steven Golden testified Owens shot Graves in the head because she couldn’t get the safe open.

There was surveillance video in the store, but it didn’t show the shooting clearly. Prosecutors never found the weapon used and didn’t present any scientific evidence linking Owens to the killing at his trial, although after Owens’ death sentence was overturned, prosecutors showed the man who killed the clerk was wearing a ski mask while the other man inside for the robbery had a stocking mask. They also linked the ski mask to Owens.

Golden was sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, according to court records.

Golden testified at Owens’ trial that there was no deal to reduce his sentence. In a sworn statement signed Aug. 22, Golden said he cut a side deal with prosecutors, and Owens’ attorneys said that might have changed the minds of jurors who believed his testimony.

The state Supreme Court said in its order that wasn’t compelling enough to stop Owens’ execution, and while they believed the evidence that Owens was the clerk’s killer, even if he didn’t kill her it, wasn’t enough to stop his death.

“He was a major participant in the murder and armed robbery who showed a reckless disregard for human life by knowingly engaging in a criminal activity that carries a grave risk of death,” the justices wrote.

Owens has at least one more chance at stopping his death. Gov. Henry McMaster alone has the power to reduce Owens’ sentence to life in prison.

The governor has said he will follow longtime tradition and not announce his decision until prison officials make a call from the death chamber minutes before the execution. McMaster told reporters he hasn’t decided what to do in Owens’ case but as a former prosecutor, he respects jury verdicts and court decisions.

“When the rule of law has been followed, there really is only one answer,” McMaster said.

Earlier Thursday, opponents of the death penalty gathered outside McMaster’s office to urge him to become the first South Carolina governor since the death penalty was restarted in the U.S. in 1976 to grant clemency.

“There is always hope,” said the Rev. Hillary Taylor, Executive Director of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. “Nobody is beyond redemption. You are more than the worst thing you have done.”

Taylor and others pointed out Owens is Black in a state where a disproportionate number of executed inmates have been Black and was 19 years old when he killed the clerk.

“No one should take a life. Not even the state of South Carolina. Only God can do that,” said the Rev. David Kennedy of the Laurens County chapter of the NAACP.

United States News

President of the Westminster Kennel Club Donald Sturz shows Fiona, his pet pekingese, during an int...

Associated Press

What makes a dog a winner? A Westminster Kennel Club judge explains

NEW YORK (AP) — The competitors can come in forms as different as a Chihuahua, a great Dane, a bulldog and a greyhound. Each one is a champion. So how is a judge to decide which dog is the best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club competition? To the casual viewer, it might be […]

52 minutes ago

FILE - People walk past the John Harvard statue on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, M...

Associated Press

House Republicans mull taxes on scholarships and changes to student loan programs

As Republicans in Congress look for ways to slash spending, some legislators are floating new taxes on college scholarships, an end to student loan repayment plans and a big hike in taxes on university endowments. The ideas affecting higher education are among many in circulation among House committees that are exploring ways to cover the […]

55 minutes ago

FILE - Professional surfers make their way to the water while a large rainbow crosses the ocean dur...

Associated Press

Hawaii is the rainbow capital of the world. Here’s what that means

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s regular sunshine, short rain showers and clean air come together to create some of the planet’s best conditions for viewing rainbows. They’re such a frequent sight that a University of Hawaii professor calls the state the “rainbow capital of the world.” Right now it’s the winter rainy season in the islands, […]

57 minutes ago

Vicky Lazo, a teacher with Southwest Miami Senior High School, speaks Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Mi...

Associated Press

Latino workers working to overcome a technological divide brought on by automation, AI

As jobs become more reliant on technology some Latino workers can be left behind due to a lack of digital skills exacerbated by a lack of accessibility. Latinos remain an integral part of jobs in agriculture, construction, retail and food services but these jobs are also at risk of automation, leaving some Latinos unprepared for […]

58 minutes ago

Associated Press

Drug lord’s son-in-law pleads guilty in border price-fixing scheme

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The son-in-law of a Mexican drug lord pleaded guilty this week to a scheme that used violence and threats to fix prices and control the transnational used-car market at the U.S.-Mexico border. Carlos Favian Martinez, son-in-law to former Gulf Cartel drug lord, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, entered a guilty plea before a […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Avian flu suspected in up to 15 bird deaths at New York City zoos

NEW YORK (AP) — At least three and possibly up to 15 birds have died of avian flu at two New York City zoos, according to the organization that operates the facilities. The Wildlife Conservation Society said three ducks at the Queens Zoo died after contracting the virus, and lab tests are pending on three […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Your go-to plumbing experts in Arizona

Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Why a Heating Tune-Up is Essential Before Winter

PHOENIX, AZ — With cooler weather on the horizon, making sure your heating system is prepped and ready can make all the difference in staying comfortable this winter.

South Carolina justices refuse to stop state’s first execution in 13 years