A South Carolina inmate facing execution has asked Governor Henry McMaster for clemency, a move that has not been granted by any governor in the state since the reinstatement of the death penalty nearly 50 years ago. Freddie Eugene Owens, 46, is scheduled to be the first person executed in South Carolina in 13 years, with his lawyer opting for lethal injection over the firing squad or electric chair upon Owens’ decision.
Owens will be put to death for the murder of Irene Graves, a convenience store clerk in Greenville in 1997. While awaiting sentencing for Graves’ murder, Owens also killed a fellow inmate in jail, a crime for which he was not tried. His lawyers argue that scientific evidence linking Owens to Graves’ killing was never presented and point out disparities in witness testimonies.
His defense team claims that Owens, who changed his name to Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah while incarcerated, was just 19 at the time of the crime and had endured brain damage due to violence suffered in a juvenile detention center. They argue that his traumatic past and young age should be taken into consideration before enforcing the death penalty.
Despite multiple sentencing hearings and appeals, Owens has been sentenced to death three times. The state Attorney General’s Office maintains that evidence presented during Owens’ final sentencing linked him to Graves’ murder, emphasizing details such as the type of mask worn by the shooter.
The governor of South Carolina holds the authority to grant clemency and commute a death sentence, yet no governor has intervened in the state’s 43 executions since 1976. McMaster, a former prosecutor, has not yet disclosed his decision regarding Owens’ case, emphasizing his commitment to reviewing all information thoroughly and respecting legal procedures.
With several other death row inmates in South Carolina having exhausted their appeals, the state Supreme Court has approved their executions to take place at five-week intervals.
