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South Carolina resumed executions after a 13-year hiatus on Friday, with Freddie Owens being the first inmate to face the death penalty. Owens was convicted of murdering a convenience store clerk in 1997 and killing a fellow inmate while awaiting trial.
Despite several appeals, Owens’ execution proceeded as scheduled. He was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. after receiving a lethal injection of pentobarbital.
Owens’ case was notable as he confessed to the inmate murder, claiming it was a response to his wrongful conviction in the convenience store case. This confession was presented to juries and a judge who all sentenced him to death.
The state had initially planned to use a firing squad, but due to a lack of lethal injection drugs, it adopted a new protocol using only pentobarbital. Owens allowed his lawyer to choose the method of execution.
South Carolina has executed 43 inmates since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The state’s death row population has declined during the unintentional execution pause, with 32 inmates remaining as of Friday.