Who was Freddie Owens? South Carolina inmate executed by first lethal injection in 13 years
The execution began at 6:35 p.m. ET, and at 6:53 p.m. a doctor checked Owens’ pulse and pronounced him dead at 6:55 p.m., state officials said. Owens, wearing a green jumpsuit, had an IV in his arm. He declined to make a final statement but mouthed words to his attorney and said “bye” in his final moment of consciousness, according to a Fox News report. Family members of the victim, Irene Graves, were present during the procedure.
Owens was executed with a single drug: pentobarbital, which South Carolina obtained under a law passed in 2023 that protects the identities of those involved in planning and carrying out the execution.
His last meal consisted of cheeseburgers, a ribeye steak, chicken wings, French fries, strawberry lemonade and apple pie.
An official, as quoted by Fox News, said: “The South Carolina case against Freddie Owens is completed.”
The Supreme Court denied Owens’ emergency request for a stay of execution, and Governor Henry McMaster denied clemency on Friday. Earlier, the state Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a new affidavit from Owens’ co-defendant, Steven Goldenwho claimed that Owens was not present during the robbery and murder. This affidavit contradicted Golden’s previous statements and statements to law enforcement.
Owens’ lawyers requested a stay of execution, citing due process violations. They argued that Owens was not given information about the drugs used in the lethal injection or the qualifications of the execution team.
Owens’ execution was the first lethal injection in South Carolina since the state regained access to the drugs after nearly a decade of supply shortages.
Owens was 19 when he killed Graves during a robbery on Halloween night in 1997. He was convicted in 1999 and killed his cellmate, Christopher Bryan Lee, in the 24 hours before sentencing.
Owens had confessed to Graves’ murder to several people, including police officers and his girlfriend. He had the choice between lethal injection, the electric chair and a firing squad, but his lawyer, Emily Paavola, chose lethal injection.
Attorney Gerald “Bo” King called Owens’ death “a tragedy” and insisted Owens did not kill Graves. King added, as quoted by CNN, “The legal errors, the hidden collusion and the false evidence that made this evening possible should shame us all.”
Owens’ execution was originally scheduled for June 2021, but was postponed due to issues with South Carolina’s execution protocols. Fourteen people have been executed in the United States this year, all but one by lethal injection.
