Hours away from execution, South Carolina man appeals to the governor for mercy

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Richard Moore, who is scheduled to beryllium executed by injection Friday successful South Carolina for nan fatal shooting of a convenience shop clerk successful 1999, has 1 last chance to person his life spared.

Moore’s lawyers person asked Republican Gov. Henry McMaster for clemency, which nary politician successful South Carolina has granted successful nan erstwhile 44 executions successful nan authorities since nan decease punishment restarted successful 1976. Governors successful 24 different states person done so.

Three jurors who condemned Moore to decease successful 2001, including 1 who wrote Friday, have sent letters asking McMaster to alteration his condemnation to life without parole. They are joined by a erstwhile authorities situation director, Moore’s proceedings judge, his boy and daughter, a half-dozen puerility friends and respective pastors.

They each opportunity Moore, 59, is simply a changed man who loves God, dotes connected his caller grandchildren nan champion he can, helps guards support nan bid and mentors different prisoners aft his addiction to narcotics clouded his judgement and led to nan shootout successful which James Mahoney was killed, according to nan clemency petition.

Moore is scheduled to dice astatine 6 p.m. astatine a Columbia prison. He has had 2 execution dates postponed arsenic nan authorities sorted done issues that created a 13-year region successful nan decease penalty, including companies’ refusal to waste nan authorities lethal injection drugs, a hurdle that was solved by passing a secrecy law.

Moore would beryllium nan second inmate executed successful South Carolina since it resumed executions. Four much are retired of appeals and nan authorities appears fresh to put them to decease successful five-week intervals done nan spring. If Moore dies Friday, location would beryllium 30 group remaining connected decease row.

The politician said he is cautiously reviewing everything sent by Moore’s lawyers and, arsenic is customary, will hold until minutes earlier nan execution starts to denote his determination erstwhile he hears by telephone that each appeals are finished.

“Clemency is simply a matter of grace, a matter of mercy. There is nary standard. There is nary existent rule connected it,” McMaster told reporters Thursday.

In an question and reply for a video that accompanied his clemency petition, Moore expressed remorse for nan sidesplitting of Mahoney.

“This is decidedly portion of my life I wish I could change. I took a life. I took someone’s life. I collapsed nan family of nan deceased,” Moore said. “I believe for nan forgiveness of that peculiar family.”

Prosecutors and Mahoney’s relatives person not spoken publically successful nan weeks starring up to nan execution. In nan past, family members person said they suffered profoundly and want justness to beryllium served.

Moore’s lawyers opportunity his original attorneys did not analyse nan crime segment cautiously and near unchallenged prosecutors’ contention that Moore, who came into nan shop unarmed, fired astatine a customer and that his volition from nan commencement was a robbery.

According to their account, nan clerk pulled a weapon connected Moore aft nan 2 based on because he was 12 cents short for what he wanted to buy.

Moore said he wrestled nan weapon from Mahoney’s manus and nan clerk pulled a 2nd weapon. Moore was changeable successful nan limb and fired back, hitting Mahoney successful nan chest. Moore past went down nan antagonistic and stole astir $1,400.

No 1 other connected South Carolina’s decease statement started their crime unarmed and pinch nary volition to kill, Moore’s existent attorneys say.

Jon Ozmint, a erstwhile charismatic who was head of nan South Carolina Department of Corrections from 2003 to 2011 and who has added his sound to those seeking clemency, said Moore’s lawsuit is not nan worst-of-the-worst benignant of crime that would usually punctual a decease punishment case.

There are plentifulness of group who were not sentenced to decease but committed overmuch much heinous crimes, Ozmint said, citing nan illustration of Todd Kohlhepp, who was fixed a life condemnation aft pleading blameworthy to sidesplitting 7 group including a female he raped and tortured for days.

Lawyers for Moore, who is Black, besides opportunity his proceedings was not fair. There were nary African Americans connected nan assemblage moreover though 20% of Spartanburg County residents were Black.

Moore, a born-again Christian, tin proceed to mentor and positively power chap inmates if his condemnation is reduced to life without parole, Ozmint said.

“He wants to proceed his activity of having a affirmative effect connected everyone astir him he tin reach,” Ozmint said successful nan clemency petition video. “I dream that Gov. McMaster will springiness Richard nan remainder of his life to move into others.”

Moore’s boy and girl said he has remained engaged successful their lives. He erstwhile asked them astir schoolwork and gave proposal successful letters. He now has grandchildren whom he sees connected video calls. Several missive writers mentioned nan harm to them if Moore is removed from their lives.

“Even though my begetter has been away, that still has not stopped him from making a large effect connected my life, a affirmative impact,” said Alexandria Moore, who joined nan Air Force astatine her father’s encouragement.

She said her 5-year-old girl asks, “Is that Pa Pa?” erstwhile nan telephone rings astatine their location astatine a subject guidelines successful Spain.

“He is simply a awesome man, and I want her to cognize her grandfather arsenic nan man that he is,” she said.