Greenville’s Freddie Owens: The First South Carolina Death Row Inmate to Face Execution in a Decade
Freddie Owens, a man from Greenville, South Carolina, is set to become the first inmate on the state’s death row to face execution since 2011. Owens, 46, will face his sentence by lethal injection. His attorney, Emily Paavola from Justice 360, a Columbia-based company, signed the pertinent documents early this past Friday to establish the method of execution. The authorization to make this decision was issued through an order signed on September 3.
Owens, aligning with his Islamic beliefs, opted not to personally select his execution method. In South Carolina, inmates on death row can choose between lethal injection, death by a firing squad, or the electric chair. In cases where the inmate chooses to abstain from deciding, the electric chair is designated as the default option. The South Carolina Department of Corrections, who sent Owens his execution notice on August 23 for a scheduled date of September 20, declined to comment further on the situation.
Significant Legal Developments and Past Appeals
As per the state procedure, Owens had been given 14 days, up until September 6, to express his preference over the method of execution. This marks the first execution in South Carolina in over a decade, the last being Greenville resident Jeffery Brian Motts, 36, who was also executed by lethal injection in May 2011.
Leading up to this point, attorneys for Owens made at least two appeals in attempts to mitigate his sentence from death to life imprisonment. However, both of these appeals were dismissed, with the most recent denial in September 2006.
The Crime That Brought Him to Death Row
In 1999, Owens was found guilty of murder, armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy related to an incident on Halloween 1997. The victim was a 41-year-old Speedway convenience store worker named Irene Graves. As a result of his conviction, Owens was sentenced to death.
This significant case brings to light the controversial debate surrounding the death penalty in South Carolina and beyond. Owens’s execution, being the first in over a decade, is a stark reminder of the state’s stance on capital punishment. These events continue to fuel discussions on the ethical, legal, and personal perspectives that form the multifaceted aspects of this complex issue.
