Death row chaos after witness makes confession hours before execution

A South Carolina man's imminent execution has been thrown into chaos after a key witness said in a sworn statement that he lied in order to have him convicted. 

Freddie Owens is set to die by lethal injection later today for the killing of convenience store clerk Irene Graves in Greenville in 1997 during a robbery. 

On Wednesday, his lawyers filed a statement from his co-defendant Steven Golden saying that Owens wasn't at the store at the time when Graves was killed. 

Golden said that he had blamed Owens, who was 19 at the time, because he was high on cocaine and facing pressure from police. 

He wrote: 'I thought the real shooter or his associates might kill me if I named him to police. I am still afraid of that. But Freddie was not there.'

Despite the claims made by Golden, the South Carolina Supreme Court has refused to step in and stop the execution of Owens by lethal injection. 

The justices ruled on Thursday that Golden's statement wasn't enough to halt prison officials from executing Owens. 

Attorney Gerald 'Bo' King said: 'South Carolina is on the verge of executing a man for a crime he did not commit. We will continue to advocate for Mr. Owens.'

Golden had testified at Owens' trial saying prosecutors promised to consider his testimony in his favor but still faced a death sentence or life in prison. 

He was eventually sentenced to 28 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. 

Golden said: 'I’m coming forward now because I know Freddie’s execution date is September 20, and I don’t want Freddie to be executed for something he didn’t do. 

'This has weighed heavily on my mind, and I want to have a clear conscience.'

Prosecutors said that several other witnesses testified that Owens had been the one that pulled the trigger. 

Those witnesses had been friends of Owens who said he had bragged to them about killing Graves. His former girlfriend also testified that he confessed to the killing. 

Less than 12 hours after he was convicted of Graves' murder, Owens also killed fellow prisoner Christopher Bryan Lee, 28, in a jail cell argument, after Lee allegedly revealed his cousin was on the jury that sentenced Owens to death. 

Prosecutors argued that Golden's decision to U-turn on his story couldn't be trusted as he had now admitted to lying under oath, showing he can't be trusted.

On Thursday a group called South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty presented a petition with over 10,000 signatures to Governor Henry McMaster. 

They want Owens' sentence to life imprisonment, with director Rev. Hillary Taylor saying: 'Justice works for restoration. You cannot restore someone who you kill.'

According to McMaster, a Republican, he will wait to announce his decision on clemency until officials call him minutes before the execution. 

If executed, Owens would be the first in the state in 13 years after they struggled to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections. 

The state added a firing squad option and passed a shield law to keep much of the details of executions private. The state Supreme Court then cleared the way for the death chamber to reopen this summer.

Owens was given the choice of lethal injection, electric chair or firing squad, opting for lethal injection. 

He left his fate up to his lawyer, arguing his Muslim faith means he cannot take an active role in his own death.