South Carolina is preparing to carry out its first execution in 13 years, marking the end of an unintended hiatus due to the state's inability to procure the necessary drugs for lethal injections. The inmate scheduled for execution is Freddie Eugene Owens, aged 46, convicted of the 1997 killing of a convenience store clerk in Greenville who was unable to open the store's safe.
Owens' appeals have been exhausted, with his final opportunity to avoid death resting on a potential commutation of his sentence to life in prison by Republican Governor Henry McMaster. The Governor is expected to announce his decision just moments before the scheduled lethal injection, following a call from prison officials and the state attorney general to ensure no delays are warranted.
