Richard Moore to Choose Execution Method as South Carolina Sets Execution Date

Texas death row inmate William Speer was scheduled for execution on October 26, 2023, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has halted this. As reported by FOX 26 Houston, a separate case is unfolding in South Carolina involving death row inmate Richard Moore.

Richard Moore, aged 59, was convicted for the murder of James Mahoney, a convenience store employee, during a robbery in September 1999. In 2001, Moore was found guilty on charges including murder, aggravated assault with intent to kill, and armed robbery. Now, facing his execution on November 1, 2023, Moore must choose between execution by firing squad, lethal injection, or the electric chair. If no choice is made by October 18, the state will proceed with electrocution as the default method.

South Carolina’s Supreme Court has confirmed Moore’s execution date, and a certified letter sent to him states that the state’s electric chair was tested in September and found operational. The state, having previously used a combination of three drugs for lethal injection, has switched to using pentobarbital, ensured for purity by a state crime lab. Director of South Carolina Corrections, Bryan Stirling, stated that three trained volunteers are ready for execution by firing squad since it became an allowed method in 2021.

Moore’s lawyers have pointed out that he was tried by an all-white jury, claiming this to be unfair. Additionally, they highlight Moore was initially unarmed and only defended himself using Mahoney’s weapon during the incident. If executed, Moore would be notable as the first person put to death who started unarmed in the altercation when he obtained the weapon. Moore aims to request clemency from Governor Henry McMaster, although no South Carolina governor has granted clemency for a death sentence in modern times.

The state’s use of the death penalty has seen 44 executions since 1976, averaging three per year in the early 2000s. However, South Carolina faced a 13-year pause in executions due to difficulties procuring lethal injection drugs, until last year when a privacy law facilitated acquiring pentobarbital.

Moore has no disciplinary violations in prison and offered to aid in rehabilitation efforts if his sentence were reduced to life without parole. South Carolina’s death row population has decreased from 63 inmates in 2011 to 31, with some receiving life sentences upon appeal and others passing away from natural causes.

Lastly, the execution of Freddie Owens by lethal injection in South Carolina took place after the state confirmed the execution drug’s purity and stability, mirroring assurances given to Moore.