List of people executed in South Carolina

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The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of South Carolina since capital punishment was resumed in the United States in 1976.

Contents

Since the 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Gregg v. Georgia , a total of 45 people have been executed in South Carolina. All of the people executed were convicted of murder. Of the 45 people executed, 38 were executed via lethal injection and 7 via electrocution. [1]

List of people executed in South Carolina since 1976

No.NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyMethodVictim(s)Governor
1 Joseph Carl Shaw White29MJanuary 11, 1985 Richland Electrocution Tommy Taylor and Carlotta Hartness Richard Riley
2 James Terry Roach White25MJanuary 10, 1986
3Ronald Rusty WoomerWhite35MApril 27, 1990 [a] Horry Della Louis Sellers Carroll Campbell
4 Donald Henry Gaskins White58MSeptember 6, 1991 [b] Richland Rudolph Tyner [c]
5Sylvester Lewis AdamsBlack39MAugust 18, 1995 York Lethal injection [d] Bryan Chambers David Beasley
6Robert SouthWhite51MMay 31, 1996 Lexington West Columbia Police Officer Daniel Wayne Cogburn [2]
7Fred H. Kornahrens IIIWhite47MJuly 19, 1996 Charleston Patti Jo Kornahrens, Jason Avant, and Harry Wilkerson
8 Michael Rian Torrence White35MSeptember 6, 1996 Lexington Dennis Lollis, Charles Bush, and Cynthia Williams
9 Larry Gene Bell White46MOctober 4, 1996ElectrocutionSharon "Shari" Faye Smith and Debra May Helmick
10Doyle Cecil LucasWhite41MNovember 15, 1996 York Lethal injectionBill Reyfield and Evelyn Reyfield
11Frank Middleton Jr.Black33MNovember 22, 1996 Charleston Shirley Mae Mack and Janell M. Garner
12Michael Eugene ElkinsWhite41MJune 13, 1997 Jasper Patricia Whitt
13Earl Matthews Jr.Black32MNovember 7, 1997 Charleston Lucia Aimar
14 John David Arnold Jr. White43MMarch 6, 1998 Beaufort Betty Gardner
15 John Herman Plath White43MJuly 10, 1998
16Sammy RobertsWhite40MSeptember 25, 1998 Berkeley Bill Spain, Kenneth Krause, and Louis Cakley
17Larry GilbertBlack43MDecember 4, 1998 Lexington Ralph Stoudemire
18J.D. GleatonBlack53M
19Louis Joe Truesdale Jr.Black40MDecember 11, 1998 Lancaster Rebecca Ann Eudy
20Andrew Lavern Smith [e] Black38MDecember 18, 1998 Anderson Christy Johnson and Corrie Johnson
21Ronnie HowardBlack40MJanuary 8, 1999 Greenville Chinh Thi Nguyen Le
22 Joseph Ernest Atkins Native American51MJanuary 22, 1999 Charleston Karen Patterson and Benjamin F. Atkins Jim Hodges
23Leroy Joseph DraytonBlack44MNovember 12, 1999Rhonda Darlene Smith
24 David Rocheville White31MDecember 3, 1999 Spartanburg Alex Hopps and James Todd Green
25Kevin Dean YoungBlack32MNovember 3, 2000 Anderson Dennis Ray Hepler
26 Richard Charles Johnson White39MMay 3, 2002 Jasper C. Daniel Swanson and Bruce Kenneth Smalls [f]
27Anthony GreenBlack37MAugust 23, 2002 Charleston Susan Babich
28Michael Joseph PassaroWhite40MSeptember 13, 2002 Horry Maggie Passaro
29David Clayton HillWhite39MMarch 19, 2004 Georgetown Georgetown Police Officer Spencer Guerry [3] Mark Sanford
30Jerry Bridwell McWeeWhite51MApril 16, 2004 Aiken John Perry
31Jason Scott ByramWhite38MApril 23, 2004 Richland Julie Johnson
32 James Neil Tucker White47MMay 28, 2004 Calhoun ElectrocutionRosa Lee Dolly Oakley and Shannon Mellon
33 Richard Longworth White36MApril 15, 2005 Spartanburg Lethal injection Alex Hopps and James Todd Green
34 Hastings Arthur Wise Black51MNovember 4, 2005 Aiken 4 murder victims [g]
35 Shawn Paul Humphries White33MDecember 2, 2005 Greenville Dickie Smith
36William Ernest Downs Jr.White39MJuly 14, 2006 Aiken Keenan O'Mailia
37Calvin Alphonso ShulerBlack40MJune 22, 2007 Dorchester James Brooks
38 David Mark Hill White48MJune 6, 2008 Aiken James Riddle, Josie Curry, and Michael Gregory
39 James Earl Reed Black49MJune 20, 2008 Charleston ElectrocutionBarbara Lafayette and Joseph Lafayette
40 Joseph Martin Luther Gardner Black38MDecember 5, 2008 Dorchester Lethal injectionMelissa McLauchlin
41Luke A. WilliamsWhite56MFebruary 20, 2009 Edgefield Linda Williams and Shaun Williams
42Thomas Treshawn IveyBlack34MMay 8, 2009 Orangeburg Robert Montgomery and Sgt. Tommy Harrison
43Jeffrey Brian Motts [4] White36MMay 6, 2011 Greenville Charles Douglas Martin [h] Nikki Haley
44 Freddie Eugene Owens Black46MSeptember 20, 2024Irene Grainger Graves [i] Henry McMaster
45 Richard Bernard Moore Black59MNovember 1, 2024 Spartanburg James Mahoney

Demographics

Race
White2658%
Black1840%
Native American12%
Age
20–2924%
30–391840%
40–491738%
50–59818%
60–6900%
Sex
Male45100%
Date of execution
1976–197900%
1980–198924%
1990–19992249%
2000–20091840%
2010–201912%
2020–202924%
Method
Lethal injection 3884%
Electrocution 716%
Governor (Party)
James B. Edwards (R) 00%
Richard Riley (D) 24%
Carroll A. Campbell Jr. (R) 24%
David Beasley (R) 1738%
Jim Hodges (D) 716%
Mark Sanford (R) 1431%
Nikki Haley (R) 12%
Henry McMaster (R) 24%
Total45100%

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ This was the last execution to be held at Central Correctional Institute in downtown Columbia. The prison complex, on the banks of the Congaree River, has since closed and been demolished.
  2. ↑ This was the first execution conducted at Broad River Correctional Institution, and the last execution in the state when electrocution was mandatory.
  3. ↑ Gaskins killed at least 15 people but was only executed for Tyner's murder.
  4. ↑ Earlier in the year, the General Assembly changed capital punishment rules to allow inmates a choice between lethal injection or electrocution for means of execution.
  5. ↑ Andrew Lavern Smith was the 500th person to be executed in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
  6. ↑ Smalls was a South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper.
  7. ↑ The 4 victims were: Charles Griffeth, David Moore, Leonard Filyaw, and Sheryl Wood.
  8. ↑ Motts was previously convicted of murdering Clyde Camby and Etta Osteen.
  9. ↑ Also killed Christopher Bryan Lee during his incarceration.

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References

  1. ↑ "Execution Database | Death Penalty Information Center". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ Franklin, Linda. "Cop killer executed in South Carolina".
  3. ↑ Collins, Jeffrey. "Police killer put to death". Associated Press. Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
  4. ↑ Collins, Jeffrey. "Inmate Jeffrey Motts first to die in SC with new combo of drugs". Associated Press. The Post and Courier.
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