South Carolina has executed Richard Moore, a death row inmate, for the 1999 murder of a convenience store clerk, despite clemency pleas from former jurors, the original trial judge, pastors, a former state prison director, and his family.
Moore, 59, was executed by lethal injection on Friday, November 1, and declared dead at 6:24 p.m. local time, according to The Post and Courier.
Moore was executed 23 years after being convicted of the 1999 murder of convenience store clerk James Mahoney at Nikki’s Speedy Mart in Spartanburg County. According to the Associated Press, Moore entered the store unarmed and fatally shot Mahoney with the victim’s gun after Mahoney shot him in the arm.
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Moore argued he didn’t intend to rob the store before the confrontation. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster denied clemency for Moore despite Moore’s lawyers’ request to reduce his sentence to life without parole, citing Moore’s clean prison record and the argument that the act could be considered self-defense.
McMaster did not provide a reason for his decision but mentioned he had spoken with the victim’s family and reviewed the materials provided by Moore’s legal team.
According to The Post and Courier, the victim in Moore’s case was white, and his jury consisted of seven white women, four white men, and one Hispanic man.
Moore’s lawyers argued that his execution would be unjust since he was the last person on South Carolina’s death row sentenced by a jury without Black representation, despite 20% of Spartanburg County’s population being Black, according to the AP.
Three former jurors, along with a former state prison director, Moore’s original trial judge, friends, pastors, and Moore’s son and daughter, wrote letters to Gov. McMaster, requesting he change Moore’s sentence to life without parole, the AP reported.
“He’s a human being who made mistakes,” Moore’s son Lyndall Moore told the outlet. “And this particular mistake led to the death of another human being. But his sentence is completely disproportionate to the actual crime.”
Among those present for Moore’s execution were his lawyer of 10 years, Lindsey Vann, members of the victim’s family, and Solicitor Barry Barnette, who was part of the prosecution team. After the execution, prison spokesperson Chrysti Shain read Moore’s final words at a media conference.
“To the family of Mr. James Mahoney, I am deeply sorry for the pain and sorrow I caused you all,” he said. “To my children and granddaughters, I love you and am so proud of you. Thank you for the joy you have brought to my life. To all of my family and friends, new and old, thank you for your love and support.”
Moore is the second inmate executed in South Carolina since the state resumed executions in September after a 13-year hiatus. He was executed with a lethal dose of the depressant drug pentobarbital, according to The Post and Courier.
Justice 360, which represented Moore, said that South Carolina “needlessly took the life of Richard Moore — a loving father and grandfather, a loyal friend, and a devoted follower of Christ.” They also argued that the state “eliminated a glowing example of reform and rehabilitation,” according to The Post and Courier.
“This execution underscores the flaws in South Carolina’s death penalty system. Who is executed versus who is allowed to live out their lives in prison appears to be based on no more than chance, race, or status. It is intolerable that our state metes out the ultimate punishment in such a haphazard way,” Justice 360 said.
A day before Moore’s execution, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his petition regarding the juror issue, according to The Post and Courier.
Moore’s execution follows the execution of Freddie Owens last month, which was South Carolina’s first in 13 years.
