South Carolina High Court Rules Order of Death Row Inmate Executions

South Carolina High Court Rules Order of Death Row Inmate Executions

Three men sentenced to death in South Carolina now know the sequence of their impending execution following a ruling by the South Carolina Supreme Court. The court arrived at the decision on Friday, responding to a petition filed by the death row inmates and three others who sought a minimum of a 13-week interval between each execution. The court set the minimum interval at 35 days. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office had opposed the petitioners, stating a maximum gap of 28 days was sufficient.

The Attorney General’s Office argued that a 13-week interval would mean “only two executions could be completed this year” and that “it would take all next year to complete the remaining four.” Justice 360, a Columbia-based nonprofit group that advocates for inmates, spearheaded the petition, but remained quiet regarding the court’s decision.

South Carolina’s last execution occurred in 2011 when Jeffery Brian Motts, aged 36 of Greenville, was given a lethal injection.

The Execution Order

The six inmates scheduled for execution in the coming months have all exhausted their appeals. The first, Freddie Eugene Owens of Greenville, will be executed on September 20 as per the court’s declared schedule.

Freddie Eugene Owens

Owens, aged 46, received his formal death warrant from the South Carolina Department of Corrections on August 23, notifying him of his September 20 execution. He was convicted in 1999 for the murder of 41-year-old Irene Graves on Halloween of 1997. The execution initially slated for June 25, 2021, was postponed owing to a lawsuit by Owens and fellow death row inmates.

Richard Benard Moore

Richard Moore, 59, of Spartanburg, is second on the execution schedule. Convicted of killing a convenience store clerk during a 1999 robbery, Moore had his execution postponed due to the aforementioned lawsuit. He will feel choice on the execution method.

Marion Bowman Jr.

Marion Bowman, 44, is third on the list for execution for the murder of 21-year-old KanDee Louise Martin of Orangeburg in 2002.