Ayobamiji Komolafe 
Freddie Owens, a South Carolina death row inmate was executed on Friday, marking the state’s first lethal injection in nearly a decade following the reinstatement of access to necessary drugs.
Owens, convicted of the 1997 murder of a Greenville store clerk, Crystal Graves, was sentenced to death in 1999.
His case has remained controversial, with recent claims by his co-defendant, Steven Golden, asserting Owens was not present during the crime.
READ ALSO:
- Canadian Govt To Cut Int’l Student, Foreign Worker Permits
- US Election: Trump Heads To Ohio Amid Immigration Debate
- Walkie-Talkie Bombings Hit Lebanon
Despite these last-minute attempts to halt the execution, including motions filed as recently as September 5, the South Carolina Supreme Court denied the requests.
Owens was administered a lethal dose of pentobarbital, a drug typically used in pet euthanasia, under a law passed in 2023 protecting the identities of individuals involved in executions.
Family members of the victim were present during the process, which took place at 6:35 p.m. ET.
The execution raised further ethical questions due to Owens’ childhood hardships and allegations of hidden evidence, as argued by his defence team.
His attorney, Gerald King, described the execution as a “tragedy,” maintaining Owens’ innocence in Graves’ murder.
Owens’ execution is part of a larger national conversation about capital punishment, with 14 inmates executed so far in 2024, nearly all by lethal injection.
