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Greenville County man sentenced to death

The state of South Carolina will hold its first execution in 13 years on September 20, 2024. It will be a Greenville County man named Freddie Owens. Owens can choose between lethal injection, the electric chair, or a firing squad. The last execution before this was on May 6, 2011, of 36-year-old Jeffrey Brian Motts, also of Greenville County. (Video above: Jeffrey Motts execution, original reporting) Motts was serving a life sentence for the murder of his great aunt and her brother-in-law in 1995. He was put on death row in 2007 after strangling his cellmate at Perry Correctional Institute in Greenville County in 2005. Between lethal injection and the electric chair, Motts chose lethal injection. His last meal consisted of pizza, fried fish, popcorn shrimp, French fries, cherry cheesecake and sweet tea, officials said. Only three South Carolina reporters were allowed to watch Motts take his last breath. Jeffrey Collins of the Associated Press said, “He blinked once and you could see his breathing become very shallow. He opened his eyes, blinked again and then you noticed his breathing stopped.” In a written statement before his execution, Motts apologized to his victim's family and his own family. He also wrote a warning to children about the destructive effects of drugs, claiming narcotics destroyed his life. “Finally, I wish my mother and grandmother 'Happy Mother's Day.'” I know this is sad, but let's remember the good times. I am finally free and peace in heaven,” Motts wrote. Although the state was once one of the most heavily burdened with executions, South Carolina struggled for years to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection because pharmaceutical companies feared they would have to disclose authorities' purchases of the drugs. In 2017, Brian Stirling of the South Carolina Department of Corrections said lethal injection could still be possible if state lawmakers passed a protection law protecting the identities of companies that make lethal injection drugs. (Video below: Senate committee on death row inmates in 2017) Executions were put on hold for 13 years before the state passed the protection law in May 2023, and in July of this year the state Supreme Court cleared the way to resume executions by revising the policy for a one-drug protocol. (Video below: Death penalty legalized July 31, 2024) This resulted in the execution date being set for September 2024 for the first time since 2011, making Owens the 44th person to be executed since South Carolina reinstated the death penalty in 1977. (Video below: Execution date set for Freddie Owens)

COLUMBIA, SC —

The first execution in over 13 years will take place in the state of South Carolina on September 20, 2024. It is a man named Freddie Owens from Greenville County.

Owens can choose between lethal injection, electric chair or firing squad as his method of execution.

The last execution before that took place on May 6, 2011, of 36-year-old Jeffrey Brian Motts, also from Greenville County.

(Video above: Execution of Jeffrey Motts, original reporting)

Motts was serving a life sentence for the murder of his great-aunt and her brother-in-law in 1995. He was placed on death row in 2007 after strangling his cellmate at Perry Correctional Institute in Greenville County in 2005.

Between lethal injection and the electric chair, Motts chose lethal injection. His last meal consisted of pizza, fried fish, popcorn shrimp, French fries, cherry cheesecake and sweet tea, officials said.

Only three reporters from South Carolina were allowed to witness Motts' last breath.

Jeffrey Collins of the Associated Press said: “He blinked once and you could see his breathing became very shallow. He opened his eyes, blinked again and then you noticed his breathing stopped.”

In a written statement before his execution, Motts apologized to his victim's family and to his own family. He also wrote a warning to children about the destructive effects of drugs and claimed that narcotics had destroyed his life.

“Finally, Happy Mother's Day to my mom and grandma. I know this is sad, but let's remember the good times. I am finally free and at peace in heaven,” Motts wrote.

Although the state once had one of the highest number of executions, South Carolina struggled for years to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection because pharmaceutical companies feared they would have to disclose their purchase of the drugs to authorities.

Brian Stirling of the South Carolina Department of Justice said in 2017 that lethal injection could still be carried out if the state legislature passed a protective law protecting the identities of the companies that make lethal injection drugs.

(Video below: Senate committee met in 2017 to discuss death row inmates)

Executions were suspended for 13 years before the state passed the so-called “Shield Law” in May 2023. In July of this year, the state Supreme Court cleared the way for executions to resume by revising the policy to a single-drug protocol.

(Video below: Death penalty legalized on July 31, 2024)

This resulted in the execution date being set for September 2024 for the first time since 2011, making Owens the 44th person to be executed since South Carolina reinstated the death penalty in 1977.

(Video below: Execution date set for Freddie Owens)

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