South Carolina’s Supreme Court has set an execution date of Nov. 1 for Richard Moore, who was convicted of killing a store clerk during a robbery nearly 25 years ago. Moore’s case marks the second of six scheduled executions in the state over the next several months after a 13-year pause in capital punishment.
Moore, now 59, was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of James Mahoney at Nikki’s Speedy Mart in Spartanburg County. He entered the store unarmed, seeking money for drugs, and a gunfight broke out when Mahoney pulled a gun. Moore wrestled the weapon away, and Mahoney pulled a second gun. Both men fired shots, leaving Mahoney dead and Moore injured. Prosecutors allege Moore then took cash and left the store, stepping over Mahoney twice.
Moore’s defense argues his death sentence is unjust, claiming he acted in self-defense and highlighting potential racial bias in his trial. Lindsey Vann, Moore’s lawyer, emphasized that no other modern South Carolina death penalty case involved an unarmed individual who defended themselves. Additionally, Moore is the only man on South Carolina’s death row convicted by an all-white jury, after Black jurors were struck from the pool. Vann claims Moore’s death would be an act of “arbitrary vengeance” rather than justice.
South Carolina, once one of the busiest states for executions, paused capital punishment for 13 years due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. Pharmaceutical companies refused to sell the drugs, concerned they would have to disclose their involvement. The state passed a law keeping drug suppliers secret, and in July, the Supreme Court approved the resumption of executions.
Moore will have the option to choose between lethal injection, electrocution, or the firing squad—an option he chose for his previously delayed execution in 2022. If Moore doesn’t choose, electrocution will be the default. Prison officials must confirm that all three methods are available and ensure the lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, is properly mixed.
Moore’s defense team plans to ask Governor Henry McMaster for clemency, which has never been granted in South Carolina’s modern history. They argue Moore had no intent to kill and acted in self-defense. Moore has maintained a clean prison record and has offered to mentor other inmates.
South Carolina has executed 44 inmates since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, though the state’s death row population has shrunk due to successful appeals and natural deaths. Moore’s case continues to raise questions about racial bias and the application of the death penalty in South Carolina, particularly in cases involving claims of self-defense.
