
Imagine having to choose between an electric chair, firing squad, or lethal injection.
That’s exactly what this South Carolina inmate is being told to do – and his lawyers are complaining about his “all white” jury. Yeah, really.
At a glance:
- Richard Moore, convicted of a 1999 murder, must choose his execution method before November 1.
- If he does not choose by October 18, the state will default to electrocution.
- Moore is seeking clemency from Governor Henry McMaster to commute his sentence to life without parole.
A South Carolina death row inmate, Richard Moore, has been given until October 18 to choose between three execution methods: lethal injection, the electric chair, or a firing squad. If Moore, who is scheduled for execution on November 1, does not make a choice, the state will automatically proceed with electrocution.
https://x.com/MauriceChammah/status/1842213747890229581
Moore, now 59, was convicted in 2001 for the murder of James Mahoney, a convenience store clerk, during a 1999 robbery in Spartanburg, South Carolina. In addition to the murder charge, Moore was found guilty of aggravated assault with intent to kill, armed robbery, and a handgun violation.
South Carolina’s Department of Corrections recently confirmed that the electric chair, first built in 1912, passed a functionality test in early September. The state, which used to employ a three-drug cocktail for lethal injections, now relies solely on pentobarbital, a sedative, for lethal injections.
Since 2021, the firing squad has also been an option for death row inmates in South Carolina. If Moore chooses this method, three trained volunteers will fire at a target over his heart from 15 feet away. The firing squad option is only available in a few other states, including Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, and Idaho.
Moore is expected to appeal to Republican Governor Henry McMaster, requesting clemency and the commutation of his sentence to life without parole. However, no South Carolina governor has ever granted clemency in a death penalty case.
South Carolina has executed 44 inmates since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1976. In the early 2000s, the state averaged three executions per year. Moore’s case marks the first time in years the state has moved forward with capital punishment, drawing attention to ongoing debates over execution methods and the future of the death penalty.