South Carolina executed a man on death row on Friday, days after the key witness for the prosecution came forward to say he lied at trial and the state was putting to death an innocent man.
Absolutely vile.
His "lie" sounds like a much bigger lie than his original statement. It's no wonder it was rejected.
And wasn't willing to name the person who was supposedly with him.
I'm against the death penalty but this whole story just stinks...
You're right that the guys story stinks, but that just shows how weak the conviction was... it depended on the testimony of someone who had taken a plea deal in exchange for that testimony.
If you have doubt about who committed the crime then you must acquit.
I absolutely agree, the idea of eye witnesses being used as evidence for execution is not right.
Henry McMaster, John W Kirttredge, John Cannon Few, George C James Jr., David Garrison Hill, Letitia Hamilton Verdin, should be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
The witness Steven Golden should be now tried as guilty of murder of Kalil Divine Black Sun Allah.*
I'm tired of "state" immunity when it's a few individuals doing this.
Edit: the more I think about this? The executioner should be charged with murder. ~~The witnesses to the execution with conspiracy as well.~~ It needs to stop. This guy knew until his last moment of consciousness he didn't shoot that woman. This wasn't just a state murder - this was a lynching.
Edit 2: Alan McCroy Wilson too. We're making a list. It sure would suck if a future president and Congress decided to make laws that removed the "protections" these people have.
Edit 3: Appreciating the constructive criticism here. I've struck the witnesses of the execution as I didn't know what the witnesses really were. I'm conflicted on Steven though. On one hand - he committed perjury, leading to an innocent man getting executed. On the other hand, we wouldn't know he was innocent without him recanting his testimony. The problem here is that if you don't do something, the obvious thing is to testify against another party in exchange for leniency and then recant it later.
The guy who came forward and recanted his testimony? I guess no one should ever do that again if they're gonna be found guilty of murder for it
Well, his act of testifying falsely may have led to the death of an innocent man.
He later recanted, which did not save the accused.
In sentencing, admission of guilt is usually taken into account as evidence of remorse, but it doesn't excuse the crime.
Or his initial testimony was truthful, and he just didn't want to see the guy executed.
Then why would he admit to perjury? Recanting testimony is admission of lying under oath. I don't see a way out of this for him. I did add an asterisk to it.
Add Alan Wilson, as attonery general he refused to act.
He's on the list now.
You lost me at executing the people who were observing the execution, wtf?
I didn't say execute any of them? Holy hell, this damn thing is about how the death penalty ends up killing Innocents, why the fuck would we execute them?
Edit: the more I think about this? The executioner should be charged with murder. The witnesses to the execution with conspiracy as well. It needs to stop. This guy knew until his last moment of consciousness he didn’t shoot that woman. This wasn’t just a state murder - this was a lynching.
OK, I misread it, but still though going after anyone who saw the execution is ridiculous and the gallery often includes family members of the person being executed. You want to charge them with conspiracy? Really?
Really? That's horrifying. I figured it was a group of lawyers and police or some shit. I'll strike that one.
Whenever this discussion happens in my country, where the death penalty has been abolished, I always point them to cases like this. They argue "But we will be better". Historically we have not been better, and we are only getting worse.
It is not a state's right to murder people, especially innocent ones. It's sick and a despicable misuse of power.
I'm suspecting the guy was not white.
That's guilt right there!
Kahlil Divine Black Sun Allah? Not white?
What makes you think that?
Na it was sarcasm on why judge didn't care. I so wonder if that was his legal name.
I'm guessing "Black Sun" is translated but I kinda hope it isn't because it's a cool name. RIP.
Previously known as Freddie Owens.
It’s almost like murdering people is a bad idea.
/s for non-Europeans.
The execution of a man later found to have been innocent should automatically generate a murder conviction for all the key players (those who could have done something) in the chain that put him to death.
So that would be the key witness at the trial, the prosecutors at that trial, the judges on the state Supreme Court, and the governor that refused to grant clemency.
The system needs to be held responsible when it knowingly makes mistakes and intentionally fails to correct those mistakes.
This.
As soon as it shows that the person in question is innocent, he should be released. If only doubts have arisen, then at the least the execution must be put on hold. This doesn't take a lot of brain power to underdstand, yet here we are.
Our system is so fucked up...
life of David gayle
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