South Carolina is scheduled to execute Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, a 46-year-old man on death row, at 6 p.m. on Friday, despite recent revelations that cast doubt on his conviction. Allah, previously known as Freddie Owens, faces execution by lethal injection, although a key prosecution witness has now recanted his testimony, asserting that the state is about to kill an innocent man.
Allah’s lawyers filed emergency motions to halt the execution earlier this week, citing new testimony that challenges the validity of his conviction. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the execution should proceed as planned.
SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS VIA AP
Allah’s last chance for reprieve lies in the hands of the state’s Republican governor, who is expected to announce his decision just before the scheduled execution. If carried out, it would be South Carolina’s first execution in 13 years, possibly signaling a resumption of capital punishment in the state.
The execution will take place at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, with three media witnesses present. Although Allah was given the choice between lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad, he refused to sign off on a method, citing his Muslim faith and objections to suicide. His attorney selected lethal injection on his behalf.
Allah was convicted of the 1997 murder of Irene Graves, a 41-year-old mother of three who was shot during an armed robbery at a convenience store. Allah, who was 19 at the time, has consistently maintained his innocence. Despite the lack of forensic evidence linking him to the crime and the ambiguity of surveillance footage showing two masked gunmen, the prosecution’s case hinged on the testimony of Allah’s co-defendant, Steven Golden.
Golden, who was also charged in the robbery and murder, pleaded guilty and testified that Allah was the shooter. However, just two days before the scheduled execution, Golden signed an affidavit recanting his testimony. He claimed that Allah was not present during the robbery and that he had lied under pressure from authorities, who promised him a lesser sentence in exchange for cooperation—a deal never disclosed to the jury.
In his affidavit, Golden expressed remorse, stating, “I don’t want [Allah] to be executed for something he didn’t do. This has weighed heavily on my mind, and I want to have a clear conscience.” Golden also admitted that he was under the influence of drugs when he initially implicated Allah and feared retribution from the real shooter.
Despite this new testimony, the state’s attorney general dismissed Golden’s recantation as unreliable, arguing that other evidence supported Allah’s guilt, including alleged confessions to his mother and girlfriend. Allah’s lawyers countered these claims, saying the girlfriend’s testimony was not credible and that Allah’s mother had retracted her statement.
Allah’s legal team also pointed out that the jury had not explicitly determined that Allah was the gunman. Prosecutors told the jury they could convict him of murder based solely on his alleged presence at the scene, a rare basis for a death sentence. They also highlighted Allah’s history of severe childhood trauma and brain damage, arguing that executing him under these circumstances would be unjust.
With no execution in South Carolina since 2011, the state faced challenges obtaining lethal injection drugs due to pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell them. Last year, the state passed a “shield law” to conceal the identity of drug suppliers, allowing the purchase of pentobarbital for executions. South Carolina has since scheduled five more executions, spaced at least 35 days apart.
Advocacy groups, like South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, have voiced strong opposition to Allah’s execution. Rev. Hillary Taylor, the group’s executive director, emphasized that the death penalty disproportionately affects those who cannot afford adequate legal defense, calling it “extremely unjust.”
Irene Graves’ daughter, Ensley Graves-Lee, now 36, spoke about the emotional toll of the case being back in the spotlight. Reflecting on her mother’s life, she described how Irene worked multiple jobs to provide for her three children. Graves-Lee, who was 10 when her mother was murdered, said, “I hate that my mother can’t be here… It wasn’t fair to her.” As the execution approaches, she hopes for closure but remains uncertain about what lies ahead.