First Execution in Thirteen Years Sparks Protests in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Breaking news from Columbia, South Carolina today, as the first execution in thirteen years has occurred. Freddie Eugene Owens, who was 46 years old, was executed on Friday, September 20, 2024. The planned execution sparked protests, notably by Reverend Hillary Taylor and Reverend Michael Okere, who made their opposition known both outside the prison gates and at various local churches.

An Execution After a Long Hiatus

Mr. Owens did not reveal any official last words as he was injected with a fatal dose of drugs, marking the first execution in South Carolina for over a decade. At precisely 6:55 p.m., Owens, who changed his name to Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah following his conversion to Islam while on death row, was pronounced dead.

The execution was a grim end to a life that spiraled into crime and violence at a young age. Owens was just 19 years old when he participated in an armed robbery that resulted in the death of Irene Graves, a convenience store clerk and a single mother of three, back in 1997. Furthermore, while he was awaiting sentencing for this crime, Owens admitted to beating his jail cellmate, Christopher Lee, to death.

From Protest to Execution Chamber

Despite extensive protests against his execution, the legal appeals to spare Owens’ life were rejected, even after a last-minute affidavit suggested Owens was not present at the gas station and did not shoot Graves. However, Owens’ previous admissions of guilt came back to haunt him. He was quoted as saying to an investigator, according to trial testimony, “Yeah, I want to be remembered as the one who killed the most people in Greenville. I’m a real menace.”

The Aftermath of the Execution

In the wake of the execution, there were varied reactions. Graves’ eldest son, Arte, expressed his relief that the ordeal was finally over, while Lee’s sister, Sherry Brooks, said her family had been waiting for this day since they learned Owens had killed him 25 years ago.

No one from Owens’ family nor Lee’s family attended the execution. The quietness of the scene was punctuated by the final moments when Owens turned to his attorney, Emily Paavola, and seemed to mouth a simple “Bye.”

Looking Ahead

With more than 30 men still on death row in South Carolina, state officials are now planning for future executions. The next inmate expected to receive a death warrant is Richard Moore, 59, who was convicted of fatally shooting a convenience store clerk, James Mahoney, during a 1999 armed robbery in Spartanburg County.

The execution of Owens signifies a hushed return of capital punishment in the state of South Carolina. It remains to be seen how the community will respond to this practice, as it reawakens debates about justice, punishment, and the value of a human life.