Death Row Inmate Pleads RACISM Over Coming Execution

South Carolina inmate Marion Bowman Jr. faces execution amid challenges to lethal injection protocol and claims of innocence.

At a Glance

  • Marion Bowman Jr., 44, has been on death row for over half his life and is scheduled for execution on January 31.
  • Bowman chose lethal injection over electric chair or firing squad, raising concerns about the drug’s efficiency and humanity.
  • His attorneys argue for innocence and claim disproportionate application of the death penalty to young men of color.
  • Concerns arise from a previous execution where additional dosing was required, potentially causing pain and suffering.
  • The state maintains its execution practices align with other jurisdictions, while federal reviews cast doubt on the drug’s safety.

 

Execution Details and Legal Challenges

Marion Bowman Jr., a 44-year-old South Carolina inmate, has chosen lethal injection for his execution, scheduled for January 31 at Broad River Correctional Institution. Bowman, who has spent over half his life on death row, is the third inmate to select this method since executions resumed in the state after a 13-year hiatus. The State Supreme Court allows executions every five weeks, setting the stage for Bowman’s impending execution.

Bowman’s attorney, Lindsey Vann, is fighting to prove his innocence and challenge the execution protocol. 

“Marion has spent decades fighting to prove his innocence in this capital case in a state that has disproportionately applied the death penalty to young men of color. We will continue to support him and hope that South Carolina does not execute another innocent man,” Vann stated.

They think accusations of racism will save him? Wow.

The challenge to the lethal injection protocol stems from a previous execution where Richard Moore required two large doses of the drug, 11 minutes apart, to die. An autopsy review indicated fluid in Moore’s lungs, suggesting he may have experienced feelings of drowning and suffocation during the execution. The Associated Press reported that Moore may have “consciously experienced feelings of drowning and suffocation during the 23 minutes that it took to bring about his death.”

Despite these concerns, prison officials maintain that their methods align with other states. However, the federal government recently rescinded execution protocols involving pentobarbital due to concerns about pain and suffering, although President Trump ordered federal executions to continue.

Expert Opinion and State Response

Anesthesiologist Dr. Joseph F. Antognini provided a contrasting view, stating, “Before becoming unconscious, the individual would not feel the sensations of pain, suffocation or air hunger.” He also indicated that in Moore’s case, breathing stopped within two or three minutes, and the inmate was unconscious.

State lawyers have noted that attorneys witnessing the executions did not report any signs of pain in the executed individuals. They stated that “neither lawyer ever claimed that either man showed any signs of pain during his execution.”

Bowman was convicted of the 2001 murder of Kandee Martin, with much of the evidence coming from plea deals with friends and family. He maintains his innocence, claiming his trial lawyers failed to present crucial evidence, including a video implicating another man. The South Carolina Supreme Court rejected a request to postpone the execution for new evidence review, calling the arguments “meritless.”