MORNING NEWSBREAK | The state of South Carolina will execute convicted killer Freddie Owens on Sept. 18, barring a last-minute grant of clemency by Gov. Henry McMaster. Meanwhile, death penalty advocates are asking for mercy, which South Carolina governors typically have not granted.
That’s the upshot of a Thursday S.C. Supreme Court order denying Owens’ 11th-hour request for a stay of execution based on new evidence that prosecutors cut a secret deal to secure the testimony of a key witness against him. In addition, Owens’s attorneys argued his jury may have been improperly swayed by the sight of special security precautions taken during his trial.
Owens was convicted and sentenced to death in 1999 for the 1997 murder of Greenville convenience store clerk Irene Graves.
“Owens has failed to meet his burden of showing a constitutional violation that…constitutes a denial of fundamental fairness,” the justices wrote. “We, therefore, deny the petition for a writ of habeas corpus and deny the motions for a stay of execution.”
With the clock ticking down, state religious leaders and anti-death penalty activists are calling on McMaster to spare Owens’s life by commuting his sentence to life without parole.
“The governor has the authority to save the life of a South Carolinian, and we call on him to use that authority now,” ACLU-SC Executive Director Jace Woodrum said in a statement. “Killing human beings in a death chamber does not deliver justice, it does not make us safe, and it has no place under our Constitution.”
A petition asking McMaster to grant clemency in the case had almost 3,000 signatures as of September 13.
If Owen’s death sentence by lethal injection is carried out, he will be the first person executed in South Carolina since 2011.
In City Paper news today:
CP OPINION: Give Spoleto-like love to MOJA Festival.”During its 40 years, MOJA’s rich blend of African and American and Caribbean arts has become a much-anticipated event that brings everyone together. If you haven’t experienced the vibrance, sounds, scents and passion that this festival brings to the Holy City, you need to carve out some time to partake in events from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6.”
CP CARTOON:
CP FOCUS: Charleston boutique hotels offer ‘elevated experiences’. People around the globe are on the hunt for what Forbes described as “elevated experiences.” And in a city that’s been ranked No. 1 in the United States for 12 consecutive years by Condé Nast, that’s what visitors are likely to find at one of the peninsula’s many boutique hotels.
CP NEWS: 10 Statehouse races to watch in 2024. Palmetto State Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much, but they’re of one mind this: Ruby-red South Carolina, where the GOP holds every statewide office and enjoys supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, isn’t destined to turn blue in 2024.
CP NEWS: Charleston prepares new plan to ‘live with water’. Since 2019, Charleston has devised at least two plans to reduce flooding in various locations around the city. But now Charleston has its first city-wide flood risk management plan that looks at what should be done to control the flow of water for the next 25 years.
CP FOOD: Gabriel Haaz aims to reinvent Charleston Place’s dining. Diners visiting the four restaurants at The Charleston Place — Charleston Grill, Thoroughbred Club, Palmetto Café and Meeting at Market — will see a shift in menus this fall as the culinary influence shifts from the property’s long-time chef, Michelle Weaver, to the incoming culinary director, Gabriel Haaz, a Mexican-born chef who wants to elevate the menus to reflect his Michelin-star experience.
CP ART: College of Charleston unveils renovated arts building. The College of Charleston unveiled in August the anticipated new Albert Simons Center for the Arts following the building’s multimillion dollar, three-year-long renovation.
CP ART: Zelnick brings comedy tour to Theatre 99. The New York–based comedian Lucas Zelnick, renowned for a razor-sharp wit and considerable social media following, brings his Highly Laffeinated Comedy Tour to Theatre 99 on Sept. 19. A second late night performance was added last week due to demand.
CP MUSIC: Soak up the end of summer with outdoor music in Charleston. As the summer comes to a close, enjoy the last of the late-evening light and warm temperatures at these outdoor concerts around Charleston. For those looking for a more laid-back experience than a concert hall or music venue, we’ve got you covered.
In other news headlines today:
King tides to bring flooding to Charleston; rain and storms could make it worse. Charleston is likely to experience flooding in the coming days as king tides are expected to reach the coast, but its severity will be determined by several variables that up to this point have been difficult to pin down.
Charleston Co. unveils plan to reach net-zero emission by 2050. The Climate Action Plan comes three years after County Council decided the county should have one and after $271,810 was paid to consultants led by the Sustainability Solutions Group. It calls for no mandates but lays out a broad framework.
Charleston’s Navarro heading to Madison Square Garden. The Charleston tennis star is set to play in an exhibition event set for Dec. 4 at the storied venue on Seventh Avenue in New York City.
West Ashley water main breaks. Charleston Water System crews responded to a water main break in West Ashley near the intersection of Savannah Highway and Savage Road, near the InTown Suites. People were asked to avoid recreation or contact with nearby waterways until tests show bacterial levels have returned to normal.
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