The last time the state of South Carolina executed an inmate was over ten years ago, when Jeffrey Motts was put to death in 2011 for the crime of having strangled a fellow inmate while serving a life sentence for another murder. But in less than two weeks, another convict in the Palmetto State may be put to death for his crimes, and we now know the method that will be used.
Richard Bernard Moore is set to be executed on April 29th, and per South Carolina law he has been given the option to choose between the electric chair and firing squad for his mode of death. Moore has opted to die by firing squad, which means he’ll face a team of three prison guards armed with rifles pointed at his heart. Moore would be only the fourth American to die by firing squad since 1976.
South Carolina had previously offered the option of lethal injection to inmates but has been unable to attain the chemicals necessary to implement an execution.
With less than two weeks before Moore is set to meet his fate, we can expect appeals from his legal team and requests for intervention from Governor Henry McMaster in the coming days. We can also expect the usual protests to emerge, condemning the barbarism of capital punishment. And along with those protests we should also expect to see very little attention paid to the crime that Moore committed to put him into this position in the first place.
Moore has been convicted of the murder of convenience store clerk James Mahoney in 1999, when Moore attempted to rob Nikki’s Speed Mart. Moore first shot at one of the store’s customers, Terry Dean Hadden, and then shot Mahoney through his side with a .45-caliber handgun. The fatal bullet struck Mahoney and exited through his heart.
Mahoney was only 42 years old when he died and would have been 65 today if not for Moore’s actions. And James Mahoney was not given any choices on the night that he died. Richard Moore played judge, jury, and executioner when he pulled that trigger.
Regardless of what your position is when it comes to the death penalty, as the date of Moore’s execution approaches, and as you weigh whether you agree with his death sentence or not, remember James Mahoney. And consider what was taken away from him 23 years ago.
By Jordan Case
Jordan Case offers opinions from the unique perspective of both entrepreneur and parent and is a regular contributor to The Blue State Conservative. Jordan does not participate in the cesspool of social media.
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This story syndicated with permission from The Blue State Conservative