ACTION ALERT - Help Save Freddie "Khalil" Owens
A key witness alleged he made false remarks at the instruction of prosecutors during the trial
South Carolina is on track to execute a man on death row for the first time in 13 years, despite new evidence raising doubts about critical testimony used to secure his conviction. Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection tomorrow, one of six executions that could move forward in the coming months in South Carolina, marking a brutal resurgence of capital punishment since the state’s last execution in 2011.
Allah, previously known as Freddie Owens, was convicted of armed robbery and the murder of a store cashier when he was 19 years old. He has long argued that he did not shoot her, and the state’s key witness alleged in an affidavit last month that he made false remarks at the instruction of prosecutors during the trial. Allah’s attorneys have also noted that his guilty verdict was atypical. He was convicted of murder without a jury explicitly ruling that he pulled the trigger. At trial, prosecutors instructed jurors that they could convict Allah simply if they believed he was present during the deadly robbery.
“[Allah] has maintained his innocence throughout, and the evidence shows that his sentence is based on trial court errors and the prosecution withholding evidence,” Gerald “Bo” King, Allah’s public defender, said in an interview. He has filed multiple unsuccessful motions in recent weeks to save his client’s life. “It is extraordinary and tragic that his execution is moving forward.”
Allah would be one of the youngest people at the time of the crime to be executed by South Carolina in decades. Like many sentenced to death in the US, Allah endured a lifetime of trauma before his conviction. His father, stepfather and grandmother all experienced periods of incarceration. He grew up witnessing domestic violence against his mother, had severe learning disabilities, regularly missed school, and was imprisoned in juvenile facilities where he was exposed to physical and sexual abuse, according to his attorneys. Experts have diagnosed him with “organic brain damage”, exacerbated by his tumultuous childhood, saying his brain was “analogous to a car with weak brakes”, with diminished decision-making and cognitive functioning.
Time is running out to help save Allah's life. We are asking our supporters to do what they can to help persuade South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) Governor McMaster to stop this execution.
Action steps:
- Sign the Petition: Join South Carolinians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty in demanding that the state stop the execution of a man who does not deserve to die.
- Use the toolkit: Continue to use the toolkit to post on social media, send letters to stakeholders, and uplift the campaign for #FreddieKhalilOwens.
- Especially for South Carolina residents - Keep Calling Governor McMaster at 803-734-2100 and emailing him at https://bit.ly/scadp-governor: Let Governor McMaster know that you oppose this execution and that you demand clemency for Freddie "Khalil" Owens.
Sample script: "Hi, my name is _________ and I live in (city and zip code). I am calling/writing today to ask that
Governor McMaster grant clemency to Freddie "Khalil" Owens, who is scheduled to be executed September
20th. Please tell the Governor to use his executive powers and show mercy to Freddie "Khalil" Owens.
Support for abolishing the death penalty increases every year as more and more information comes to light about corrupt prosecutions and inhumane execution processes. Executions occurred in just five states in 2023: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and defendants were sentenced to die in just seven states. A total of only 24 people were executed for their crimes over the year, making 2023 the ninth year when fewer than 30 people were put to death.
Felony Murder Elimination Project hopes that our supporters can advocate for our shared goals of a fair and just system and encourage Governor McMaster to keep South Carolina from executing Allah. There is simply no reason, and especially in Allah's case where the verdict has serious doubt attached to it, that the state of South Carolina should move backward and join the list of state-sponsored murderers.
