South Carolina resumed executions after a 13-year hiatus by putting inmate Freddie Owens to death. Owens was convicted of killing a convenience store clerk during a robbery in 1997 and later killed another person while on trial. He made no final statement and was executed after exhausting all appeals. South Carolina allows condemned individuals to choose between lethal injection, the firing squad, or the electric chair. Owens allowed his lawyer to choose the method of execution. His last meal was two cheeseburgers, french fries, steak, chicken wings, soda, and pie. The state had to pass a secrecy law to restart executions due to a lack of lethal injection drugs. South Carolina now uses pentobarbital for executions. Owens was also charged with another murder but never tried. His lawyers argued there was insufficient evidence against him and pointed out his history of suffering and brain damage. Protesters gathered outside the prison prior to Owens’ execution. South Carolina has executed 43 people since 1976, with Owens being the first after the long pause. The death row population has decreased significantly over the years due to successful appeals and natural deaths. Other inmates may face execution in the coming weeks as the state has cleared the way for frequent executions.
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