South Carolina has set a date of September 20, 2024, for the execution of Freddie Eugene Owens, marking the state’s first execution in over 13 years. Owens, convicted of killing a store clerk in 1997 and later his cellmate in 1999, will choose between lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad—methods revived by the state after a prolonged hiatus due to legal and logistical challenges.
South Carolina was once one of the most active states in carrying out executions but faced significant delays due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. This pause led to a decline in the death row population from 63 inmates in 2011 to 32 today. However, the state recently passed legislation allowing secrecy in drug procurement and reinstated the electric chair and firing squad as execution options, paving the way for Owens’ execution.
The choice of execution method stems from a new state law, which was a response to the unavailability of lethal injection drugs. Owens will have a week to decide his method of execution. If he does not make a choice, the default will be electrocution.
This execution is a result of a decade-long legislative effort to resume capital punishment in the state. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state’s shield law, which protects the identities of drug suppliers, and affirmed the constitutionality of the electric chair and firing squad as non-cruel punishments.
As the first scheduled execution in over a decade, this case has renewed discussions on the death penalty’s role in South Carolina. Owens’ execution will be closely monitored as it could signal a renewed period of capital punishment in the state, with several other inmates potentially facing execution in the near future.
