South Carolina executes Freddie Owens; first state inmate to die in 13 years

Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Officials in South Carolina have executed Freddie Owens, convicted in the 1997 murder of a convenience store clerk, marking the state's first execution in more than a decade.

Owens was executed by lethal injection Friday evening at the Broad Broad River Correctional Institute in Columbia.

The 46-year-old was convicted of killing convenience store clerk Irene Graves during a robbery in 1997 in Greenville, S.C.

Relatives of the 41-year-old single mother of three witnessed the execution.

Owens was 19 at the time of the murder and convicted two years later, based in part on the testimony of his co-accused.

He becomes the first prisoner to be executed in South Carolina in 13 years while the state dealt with years of supply issues securing the drugs used to carry out the procedure.

Authorities pronounced Owens dead at 6:55 p.m. EDT Friday, around 20 minutes after the procedure started. He did not make a final statement other than briefly saying goodbye to his lawyer.

Gov. Henry McMaster , R-S.C., denied a request for clemency made by Owens' lawyers.

The State Supreme Court earlier denied to issue a stay of execution made hours before the execution.

Days ahead of the execution, lawyers for Owens submitted a sworn affidavit from co-defendant Steven Golden. Golden was given a 30-year sentence for the crime but said he was pressured by police decades ago to name Owens as one who pulled the trigger, killing Graves.

Golden swore Owens was not even at the scene of the robbery. However the South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday denied Owens' request for a new trial.