September 20th 2024.
On a somber Friday evening in South Carolina, Freddie Owens met his fate with a lethal injection. He was a death row inmate who had been convicted of murder, armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy. It was a controversial case, as his friend, Steven Golden, had recently come forward with a shocking confession. Golden claimed that he had lied in his testimony against Owens in order to save his own life. But unfortunately, this eleventh-hour revelation was not enough to spare Owens from his ultimate punishment.
Owens' attorneys had desperately tried to halt the execution by filing a sworn statement from Golden. In it, Golden stated that Owens was not present at the scene of the crime in 1997. He also revealed that he had falsely accused Owens due to pressure from the police and his own fear of the real killer. But despite these efforts, the state Supreme Court and Governor Henry McMaster both refused to intervene. And so, Owens met his fate without giving a final statement.
The victim of the crime, Irene Graves, was a 41-year-old mother-of-three. As Owens was prepared for the lethal injection, two of her family members watched on. Associated Press reporter Jeffrey Collins noted that there was no animosity or anger towards Owens from the family, just a intense stare. And at 6:55pm, Owens was pronounced dead.
It was a case that had been marred by controversy from the beginning. In 1999, while awaiting his sentencing, Owens confessed to killing a cellmate. And just two weeks before his execution, he was given the option of choosing his method of death - lethal injection, firing squad, or the electric chair. In the end, Owens left the decision up to his lawyer, Emily Paavola.
As the news of Owens' execution spread, there were mixed emotions. Some felt that justice had been served, while others questioned the fairness of the trial. Reverend Hillary Taylor, Executive Director of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, spoke out against the execution and delivered petitions to the Statehouse in Columbia. But ultimately, the decision had been made and Freddie Owens' life was taken on that fateful Friday evening.
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