South Carolina Sets First Execution Date in Over 13 Years

South Carolina, the eighth state to join the Union in 1788, is preparing to resume executions after a hiatus of more than 13 years. The state has set September 20, 2024, as the execution date for Freddie Eugene Owens, convicted of murdering a store clerk in Greenville in 1997.

This scheduled execution marks a significant shift in South Carolina's capital punishment practices. The state, once among the most active in carrying out death sentences, had faced challenges in obtaining lethal injection drugs due to pharmaceutical companies' concerns about disclosure.

To address this issue, South Carolina's legislature enacted a law allowing officials to maintain the confidentiality of lethal injection drug suppliers. In July 2024, the state Supreme Court paved the way for the resumption of executions.

Owens, now 46, will likely have the option to choose between lethal injection, electrocution, or the newly added method of firing squad. If he does not make a selection, he will be executed by electric chair by default.

The inclusion of the firing squad as an execution method has sparked discussions about humane execution practices. The last firing squad execution in the United States occurred in Utah in 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

South Carolina's Department of Corrections must confirm the availability of all three execution methods within five days. They are also required to provide Owens' legal team with evidence that the lethal injection drug is stable and correctly prepared, as per the state Supreme Court's 2023 interpretation of the execution secrecy law.

John Blume, Owens' attorney, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the source and quality of the execution drugs. The defense team is awaiting a sworn statement from prison officials about the drug's purity, potency, and quality.

South Carolina's execution protocol now involves the use of a single drug, pentobarbital, for lethal injections, similar to the method employed by the federal government.

"No South Carolina governor has ever granted clemency in the modern era of the death penalty."

The state's last execution took place in May 2011. Since then, South Carolina's death row population has decreased from 63 inmates in early 2011 to 32 in August 2024. This reduction is attributed to successful appeals and natural deaths among the condemned.

South Carolina's history with capital punishment is notable. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States in 1976, the state has executed 43 inmates. In the early 2000s, it averaged three executions annually, ranking it among the top ten states for executions.

The resumption of executions in South Carolina comes at a time when the state is also known for its diverse geography, from coastal plains to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and its rich cultural heritage, including the Gullah culture. The state, named after King Charles I of England, has played significant roles in American history, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, which began at Fort Sumter in 1861.

As South Carolina prepares for this pivotal moment in its criminal justice system, the event is likely to reignite debates about capital punishment, transparency in execution protocols, and the evolving landscape of the death penalty in the United States.