COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Supreme Court has yet to announce a date for the upcoming execution of inmates, after legal representatives for four death row inmates requested a delay until after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
According to state law, the justices usually send out execution notices on Fridays, providing a maximum preparation period of 28 days. This timeframe is significant as executions are mandated to occur on the “fourth Friday after the receipt of such notice.”
In August, the Supreme Court made a commitment to stagger executions at five-week intervals. This decision aims to give both prison staff and defense lawyers, who often juggle multiple cases, sufficient time to manage all legal preparations. These preparations include ensuring availability of lethal injection drugs, readiness of the electric chair and firing squad, as well as conducting and submitting last-minute appeals.
There is currently a backlog in South Carolina’s death chamber, stemming from a 13-year hiatus on executions, primarily due to difficulties in acquiring lethal injection drugs. This situation was alleviated when the state legislature enacted a law permitting the confidentiality of drug supplier identities.
During this suspension, six inmates exhausted their appeals. Out of those, two have been executed, while four remain on death row awaiting their sentences.
Last Friday, the justices had the option to issue a death warrant for Marion Bowman Jr., with a proposed execution date of December 6th. However, the day passed without any announcement from the Supreme Court regarding their thoughts on the inmates’ request for a pause in executions until early January.
In court documents, the lawyers for the inmates highlighted their concerns, stating, “Six consecutive executions with virtually no respite will take a substantial toll on all involved, particularly during a time of year that is so important to families.”
In response, attorneys representing the state emphasized that prison officials were prepared to adhere to the original timeline, pointing out that there have been past executions conducted around the holiday season, including five that took place between December 4, 1998, and January 8, 1999.
Bowman, who is 44 years old, was convicted of murdering Kandee Martin, a 21-year-old friend. Her charred body was discovered in the trunk of her car in Dorchester County back in 2001. Having spent over half of his life on death row, Bowman is facing execution, which would mark the third execution since September when the state secured the necessary drugs for lethal injection. Notably, Freddie Owens was executed on September 20, and Richard Moore followed on November 1.
Historically, South Carolina was one of the most active states in carrying out executions. However, this changed when the state encountered challenges in obtaining lethal injection drugs, predominantly due to pharmaceutical companies’ hesitance to participate, fearing public disclosure of their involvement. Recently, the state legislature’s passage of a law to protect the identities of lethal injection drug suppliers and the Supreme Court’s clearance to resume executions in July have set the stage for a return to this controversial practice.