A man convicted of a 1997 murder was killed by lethal injection on Friday in the southeastern state of South Carolina.
This is the state’s first of a death row inmate in 13 years.
What de we know about the execution?
US media reported that Freddie Owens, 46, was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. local time (2255 GMT) after he was given a lethal injection.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster rejected Owens’ appeal for clemency and the Supreme Court denied a stay of the execution.
Owens was convicted in 1999 of the murder of convenience store clerk Irene Graves during a robbery in Greenville, South Carolina in 1997.
He and another man entered the store and stole $37 from a cash register and led Graves to the back of the store, where she was shot in the head after she was unable to open a safe.
Codefendant Steven Golden had testified that Owens was the one who shot Graves and received a lesser sentence. He has since recanted his testimony.
While on trial in 1999, Owens killed a person incarcerated at a county jail. His confession to that killing was read to two different juries and a judge who all sentenced him to death.
Owens made no final statement on Friday.
First execution since 2011
South Carolina’s last execution was in May 2011.
It took a decade of legislative wrangling to restart capital punishment after its supply of lethal injection drugs expired and no company was publicly willing to sell the state more.
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The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the US’ 50 states. Six other states have implemented a moratorium on executions.
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sdi/rmt (AFP, AP)
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