US witnesses 5 executions in 1 week, the most in 20 years: Who are the convicts?

One week and five executions. That is what the United States is witnessing now, marking a huge shift from the declining trend in the use and support of capital punishment in recent years.

Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas are carrying out the death penalties, marking the first time since July 2003 that five executions will take place within such a short timeframe, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

Among the five, the first took place last week. In South Carolina, Freddie Owens, convicted for the 1997 murder of a convenience store clerk during a robbery in Greenville, South Carolina, was put to death last Friday. Notably, Owens killed another inmate while awaiting trial. Two separate juries and a judge heard his confession, and all of them announced a death sentence for him.

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South Carolina law permits convicts to choose between lethal injection, a firing squad, or an electric chair that was built in 1912. Owens’ decision was made by his lawyer, as per his request, who chose lethal injection for her client. Owens was put to death using pentobarbital, a drug commonly used for euthanising animals, according to the South Carolina Law Review.

If the remaining four executions proceed as scheduled, the United States will have carried out a total of 1,600 executions since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said.

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Several experts believe that the scheduling of five executions in a single week is a rare occurrence, primarily due to individual states setting dates after inmates exhausted their legal options.

Eric Berger, a law professor at the University of Nebraska, said, “I don’t see any particular reason beyond coincidence.”

Berger said that certain issues, such as difficulties in obtaining the required lethal drugs, as seen in South Carolina, or delays caused by botched executions, like in Oklahoma, can lead to a backlog of executions.

Who are the other four convicts?

Alan Miller in Alabama

This Thursday, Alabama plans to conduct the nation’s second-ever execution using nitrogen gas, following its first use of the method in January. Alan Miller is set to die via a process where a mask is placed over his head, forcing him to inhale pure nitrogen.

In September 2022, Miller was taken to the execution chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, where his lawyers claim he faced both physical and mental torture. Strapped to a gurney for two hours, the execution team repeatedly attempted to insert needles into his arms, hands, and feet, searching for a vein to insert lethal drugs. After failing to find one, they raised the gurney into a vertical position, leaving Miller suspended for about 20 minutes, according to court documents. When he was lowered, blood was seen leaking from the punctures and the execution was eventually called off.

Miller was convicted for the murders of three men — Terry Jarvis, Lee Holdbrooks, and Scott Yancy — during a workplace shooting in 1999.

Marcellus Williams in Missouri

On Tuesday, Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection for the murder of Lisha Gayle, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, in 1998. Gayle was stabbed during a burglary at her home in University City, a suburb of St. Louis. However, supporters of Williams, who defend his innocence, continue to push for a reprieve.

During the sentencing phase of his trial, Williams’ attorneys provided evidence of his role as “a caring and loving father.” Family members, including his son and stepdaughter, testified about his positive relationship with his children, stating that his execution “would have a significant effect on his family.”

On Monday, Williams’ legal team requested a halt to the execution due to procedural issues with jury selection and mishandling of the murder weapon. However, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected the appeal, and Governor Mike Parson denied his clemency plea, allowing the execution to move forward.

Emmanuel Littlejohn in Oklahoma

Emmanuel Littlejohn is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Thursday in Oklahoma. He was convicted of the murder of Meers, a 31-year-old convenience store owner, during a robbery-turned-shooting in 1998. While Littlejohn admits to participating in the robbery, he maintains that his accomplice fired the shot.

“I accept responsibility for what I did but not what they want me to accept responsibility for,” he said. “They want me to accept that I killed somebody, but I haven’t killed somebody.”

Clemency advocates for Littlejohn point out that witness testimonies indicate the “taller man” was the shooter, referring to his accomplice, Glenn Bethany, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in 1993.

The state, represented by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, described Littlejohn as a repeat violent offender and provided testimonies from robbery survivors who identified him as the shooter.

The 52-year-old has spent the last 30 years on death row. The state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 last month to recommend that Governor Kevin Stitt spare Littlejohn’s life, but the governor has yet to decide on clemency.

Travis Mullis in Texas

Travis Mullis, a 38-year-old man with a long history of mental illness, was put to death in Texas on Tuesday. He sought to waive his right to appeal his death sentence repeatedly. Mullis was sentenced to death for the murder of his infant son, Alijah, whom he stomped to death after attempting to strangle him in January 2008. His execution took place at the Huntsville State Penitentiary.

According to authorities, Mullis drove to Galveston with his son following an argument with his girlfriend. After parking his car, Mullis sexually assaulted his son. When the child began crying, Mullis strangled him and then stomped on his head outside the car.

Since his 2011 conviction, Mullis has frequently clashed with his legal team, sometimes asking to forgo appeals, only to later change his stance. If the execution proceeds, Mullis will be the fourth inmate executed this year in Texas, the country’s most active death penalty state, and the 15th execution nationwide in 2024.

With inputs from AP