The last words of Richard Moore before his execution in South Carolina

South Carolina inmate Richard Moore was executed by lethal injection Friday for the 1999 killing of a convenience store clerk, despite widespread calls for clemency.

Moore was the second person to be executed in the state in a little more than a month after a 13-year hiatus caused by difficulties obtaining drugs for the lethal injection protocol. The 59-year-old man was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. after Gov. Henry McMaster and Supreme Court refused his request to stop the execution. Two years ago, discussing the Moore case, republican McMaster said he would not issue a replacement.

When the execution began, Moore was tied to a gurney, and most of his body was covered by a blanket. Witnesses said he stood facing the ceiling with his eyes closed as the lethal drug seeped into his body before taking four to six deep breaths. State reported

Witnesses included two family members of James Mahoney, Moore’s attorney, Lindsay Vann, his spiritual advisor, three journalists, an official from the South Carolina Department of Corrections, a South Carolina law enforcement agent and Spartanburg attorney Barry Barnett, who played a role in the crime. chasing Moore in 2001. Barnett and members of the Mahoney family stared stoically as Moore breathed his last, according to State. Outside, about 40 people, including a lawyer who represented Moore, opponents of the death penalty and members of the clergy held a prayer vigil.

In a final statement read at a press conference, Moore said: “To the family of Mr. James Mahoney, I am deeply sorry for the pain and grief I am causing you all. To my children and grandchildren, I love you and I am so proud of you. Thank you for the joy you brought into my life.

“To all my family and friends, new and old, thank you for your love and support.”

His last meal was medium steak, fried catfish and shrimp, scalloped potatoes, green peas, broccoli and cheese, sweet potato pie, German chocolate pie and grape juice.

Moore was the last person on South Carolina’s death row to be convicted by an all-black jury, his attorneys say. He is also believed to be the only person in South Carolina history executed for armed robbery who did not bring a deadly weapon to the scene.

Moore was convicted of killing a Mahoney convenience store clerk during a 1999 robbery in Spartanburg County. According to prosecutors, Moore entered the store unarmed and managed to wrestle Mahoney’s gun, which he grabbed after arguing with Moore over a 12-cent shortage. Mahoney then reached for a second firearm, shooting Moore in the arm, but Moore responded by fatally shooting Mahoney in the head. Moore fled the scene with a bag containing more than $1,400 in cash, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors accused Moore of robbing the store to fund his crack addiction. For years, however, Moore maintained that he was there to buy beer and cigarettes. In 2001, he was sentenced to death.

Unsuccessful appeals

Moore has appealed his conviction several times, most recently on the grounds that prosecutors impermissibly struck two black jurors because of their race in his 2001 murder case, which the state disputed. In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors could not convict a potential juror based solely on race. In the event of an appeal, the state must provide a “race-neutral” reason for excluding the candidate.

Trey Gowdy, the prosecutor in Moore’s case, who later served as a four-term Republican congressman, told the judge that one black juror candidate was struck mainly for allegedly covering up her criminal record during questioning, while another was excluded because their the son was convicted of murder. A white juror with a similar family situation was also removed, Gowdy noted. In addition, he noted that the final jury included a Spanish-speaking member.

But in a brief filed Tuesday with the Supreme Court, South Carolina’s attorney general argued it was too late for Moore to raise the issue of juror race because it had not been raised in previous appeals. They claimed Moore killed Mahoney in self-defense.

His plea drew national attention: More than 20 people, including two jurors, a judge from Moore’s first trial and a former director of the state penitentiary system, asked McMaster to spare Moore’s life by pardoning him, the Associated Press reported.

Moore’s son, Lindall, who was four years old when his father was charged, also argued that his father deserved mercy.

“He’s not some kind of monster,” Lindall said State. “He’s just a guy who’s struggled, but always a guy with a good heart, you know, a normal guy who’s trying to be a good father.”

In prison, Moore reportedly became a devout Christian, devoted himself to mentoring other inmates, and began painting. He also encouraged his children to avoid his own mistakes.

Former Department of Corrections Director John Ozmint described Moore as “a reliable, consistent force for good on death row,” according to Stateand argued that Moore’s commutation could serve as a powerful example of redemption. Ozmint added: “Perhaps the most compelling reason for a lighter sentence for Richard is that he is comfortable with whatever you decide.”