Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, killed by lethal injection days after state’s key witness recanted critical testimony

Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, killed by lethal injection days after state’s key witness recanted critical testimony

South Carolina executed a man on death row on Friday, days after the key witness for the prosecution came forward to say he lied at trial and the state was putting to death an innocent man.

Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, was killed by lethal injection, pronounced dead at 6.55pm, according to the Associated Press, which was one of several media witnesses to the execution.

His lawyers had filed emergency motions for a delay this week, citing new testimony suggesting he was wrongfully convicted. But the state supreme court rejected the pleas and Henry McMaster, the Republican governor, announced just before the execution that he would not be granting clemency.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1151·
    3 months ago

    South Carolina executed a man on death row on Friday, days after the key witness for the prosecution came forward to say he lied at trial and the state was putting to death an innocent man.

    Absolutely vile.

      • SupraMario@lemmy.world
        11·
        3 months ago

        And wasn’t willing to name the person who was supposedly with him.

        I’m against the death penalty but this whole story just stinks…

        • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc
          5·
          3 months ago

          You’re right that the guys story stinks, but that just shows how weak the conviction was… it depended on the testimony of someone who had taken a plea deal in exchange for that testimony.

          • ShaggySnacksEnglish
            5·
            3 months ago

            If you have doubt about who committed the crime then you must acquit.

  • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
    691·
    3 months ago

    Henry McMaster, John W Kirttredge, John Cannon Few, George C James Jr., David Garrison Hill, Letitia Hamilton Verdin, should be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

    The witness Steven Golden should be now tried as guilty of murder of Kalil Divine Black Sun Allah.*

    I’m tired of “state” immunity when it’s a few individuals doing this.

    Edit: the more I think about this? The executioner should be charged with murder. The witnesses to the execution with conspiracy as well. It needs to stop. This guy knew until his last moment of consciousness he didn’t shoot that woman. This wasn’t just a state murder - this was a lynching.

    Edit 2: Alan McCroy Wilson too. We’re making a list. It sure would suck if a future president and Congress decided to make laws that removed the “protections” these people have.

    Edit 3: Appreciating the constructive criticism here. I’ve struck the witnesses of the execution as I didn’t know what the witnesses really were. I’m conflicted on Steven though. On one hand - he committed perjury, leading to an innocent man getting executed. On the other hand, we wouldn’t know he was innocent without him recanting his testimony. The problem here is that if you don’t do something, the obvious thing is to testify against another party in exchange for leniency and then recant it later.

    • Serinus@lemmy.world
      191·
      3 months ago

      The guy who came forward and recanted his testimony? I guess no one should ever do that again if they’re gonna be found guilty of murder for it

      • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc
        3·
        3 months ago

        Well, his act of testifying falsely may have led to the death of an innocent man.

        He later recanted, which did not save the accused.

        In sentencing, admission of guilt is usually taken into account as evidence of remorse, but it doesn’t excuse the crime.

        • Serinus@lemmy.world
          11·
          3 months ago

          Or his initial testimony was truthful, and he just didn’t want to see the guy executed.

          • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
            1·
            3 months ago

            Then why would he admit to perjury? Recanting testimony is admission of lying under oath. I don’t see a way out of this for him. I did add an asterisk to it.

      • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
        4·
        3 months ago

        I didn’t say execute any of them? Holy hell, this damn thing is about how the death penalty ends up killing Innocents, why the fuck would we execute them?

        • DudeImMacGyver@sh.itjust.works
          4·
          3 months ago

          Edit: the more I think about this? The executioner should be charged with murder. The witnesses to the execution with conspiracy as well. It needs to stop. This guy knew until his last moment of consciousness he didn’t shoot that woman. This wasn’t just a state murder - this was a lynching.

          OK, I misread it, but still though going after anyone who saw the execution is ridiculous and the gallery often includes family members of the person being executed. You want to charge them with conspiracy? Really?

  • Egg_Egg@lemm.ee
    581·
    3 months ago

    Whenever this discussion happens in my country, where the death penalty has been abolished, I always point them to cases like this. They argue “But we will be better”. Historically we have not been better, and we are only getting worse.

  • noneya@lemmy.worldEnglish
    40·
    3 months ago

    It is not a state’s right to murder people, especially innocent ones. It’s sick and a despicable misuse of power.

  • Zip2@feddit.uk
    211·
    3 months ago

    It’s almost like murdering people is a bad idea.

    /s for non-Europeans.

  • rekabis@lemmy.ca
    15·
    3 months ago

    The execution of a man later found to have been innocent should automatically generate a murder conviction for all the key players (those who could have done something) in the chain that put him to death.

    So that would be the key witness at the trial, the prosecutors at that trial, the judges on the state Supreme Court, and the governor that refused to grant clemency.

    The system needs to be held responsible when it knowingly makes mistakes and intentionally fails to correct those mistakes.

    • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
      11·
      3 months ago

      This.

      As soon as it shows that the person in question is innocent, he should be released. If only doubts have arisen, then at the least the execution must be put on hold. This doesn’t take a lot of brain power to underdstand, yet here we are.