Freddie Owens Executed By Lethal Injection, Sparks Outcry

South Carolina undertook the state’s first execution in several years last week when death row inmate Freddie Owens died by lethal injection. 

Owens' death, the first death row execution in 13 years, renewed debate over whether or not the death penalty should continue to be allowed in South Carolina. 

Owens was convicted in 1999 for the killing of Greenville convenience store clerk and mother of three, Irene Graves in 1997. 

Shortly after he was convicted for Graves’ killing, Owens also admitted to killing his cellmate Christopher Lee as well. 

Owens’ attorneys repeatedly advocated for his sentence to be changed especially after the co-defendant in his 1997 trial, Stephen Golden, said Owens was never at the gas station and did not murder Graves, according to an article by The Post and Courier. 

However, state prosecutors said Owen's testimony, where he admitted to the murder to investigators, his friends, and his mother, as reason to continue with his execution. 

Owens was originally scheduled to be executed in June of 2021 but the South Carolina Supreme Court issued a stay for him and other inmate Brad Sigmon while the state’s latest method of execution, firing squad, was finalized. 

Executive Director of the South Carolina chapter of the ACLU Jace Woodrum released a statement on X, denouncing Owens’ execution. 

“We are grieved that the state of South Carolina killed a South Carolinian today,” the statement read. “As other countries and states have moved to abolish this arbitrary tool of cruel and unusual punishment, our leaders have embraced it and even passed new laws to resume killing. We call on the governor to grant clemency to the people remaining on Death Row before the state kills in our name again.”

Both Governor Henry McMaster and the state Supreme Court struck down calls for clemency and execution postponement or cancellation. 

McMaster said in a statement that “he carefully reviewed and thoughtfully considered” the application but ultimately decided against clemency. 

Under Owens’ attorney’s claims of new evidence being available, the court disagreed with their statement saying that Golden’s testimony that Owens did not commit the murder was available when attorneys were able to file appeals, according to the SC Daily Gazette. 

With the state Supreme Court ruling that there has to be a minimum of 35 days between issuing death notices, there is a potential that the next notice could be issued at the end of the month with the next execution set for October. 

It is important to note that the court issues death notices at their own discretion. 

The next inmate scheduled for execution is 59-year-old Spartanburg County resident Richard Moore who killed store clerk James Mahoney in a 1999 armed robbery.