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‘As fragile as a child’: South Carolina death row inmate’s letters show haunted man

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‘As fragile as a child’: South Carolina death row inmate’s letters show haunted man



Freddie Eugene Owens is set to be executed on Friday, Sep. 20, making him the first person to be killed by the state in South Carolina in the last 13 years. This is his story.

A deeply troubled South Carolina inmate scarred by a traumatic childhood wrote letters on death row that at times threaten the ones he loves in chilling terms and at others show a vulnerable man who describes himself as being “fragile as a child.”

The inmate, Freddie Eugene Owens, is set to be executed by lethal injection on Friday in South Carolina. If it moves forward, it will be the state’s first execution in 13 years and the 14th execution in the nation this year. It’s also the first of five executions the United States is carrying out in a six-day period between Sept. 20 and 26.

Owens, 46, was sentenced to death after being convicted of killing 41-year-old Irene Graves during a convenience store robbery on Halloween night in 1997. Owens, who was 19 at the time, has always maintained his innocence and fought his death sentence.

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“(I’m) labeled as a ‘thug,’ ‘killer,’ ‘robber,’ and a person without remorse for the weak, but they’re wrong. I’m as fragile as a child,” Owens wrote in a letter to a woman he loved in 1998. ”People seem to forget one thing about us ‘brothers’ who are locked up, just because we’ve made mistakes and are accused of crimes or violence. We have souls and feelings − but most important we are also human.”

As Owens’ execution fast approaches, USA TODAY is looking at who he is, what he did and how he’s fighting the ultimate punishment.

A fateful October night

On a fateful Halloween night in 1997, Owens and another man, Stephen Andra Golden, robbed a convenience store in Greenville, South Carolina, according to court documents.

During the robbery, 41-year-old Irene Graves was shot in the head after she had told the men that she could not open the store safe. Graves was a single mother of three who worked three jobs to provide for her children.

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Surveillance footage did not clearly show who fired the shot that killed Graves. Owens maintained he was at home in bed at the time of the robbery.

Prosecutors showed surveillance footage of the store, and Golden testified that Owens was the shooter. Golden reached a plea agreement with prosecutors to testify against Owens in order to avoid the death penalty, according to Owens’ attorneys. His murder charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter and he was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

As for Owens, he said his conviction led him to kill his cellmate while awaiting sentencing, telling officials: “I really did it because I was wrongly convicted of murder.”

Who is Freddie Eugene Owens?

Owens’ childhood was filled with neglect, abuse, trauma and psychological difficulties.

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Owens’ older sister, Marie Owens, said their father was an extremely violent person − physically, verbally and emotionally − to her, Owens, and their mother, according to court filings from 2016 seeking a reduced sentence for Owens.

“There was nothing he wouldn’t do to hurt my mother,” Marie Owens said. “He hit us all the time with whatever was closest at hand. A stick, a bat, a beer can, a drop cord, a belt … whatever … until we bled.”

Marie Owens added that the children ended up being taken to a group home by state officials after she was beaten so hard with an extension cord that she bled profusely.

“They had been left alone at home in a house with no food and no electricity and removed for physical neglect” when Owens was 5 years old, according to a report written by Stacey Wood from the psychology department at Scripps College

Owens’ mother, Dora Diane Mason, recounted how Owens’ father abused him as a child.

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“I remember a time when Freddie was about 1 year old – he was very small – that his father got mad at him and whooped him and shook him so hard,” Mason said. “After he stopped and I was able to get Freddie, I couldn’t get Freddie to stop crying no matter how I tried.”

Today, Owens has chosen to go by a different name − Khalil-Divine Black Sun-Allah − after converting to Islam in prison.

Freddie Owens in letters: ‘Betrayers will be slayed’

In Owens’ letters, obtained by USA TODAY, he lamented his life and the way the world brought him up.

“I wasn’t born or raised this way and I can’t blame society, but I say that living in this world for 19 years has to be the worst mistake I’ve made,” Owens wrote. “I’d wish I knew before I came, that this world is corrupt and full of hate.”

His writings also show a more sinister side, one that threatens those he says he loves. He writes to a woman named Aisha about his love for her but also threatens her after learning she was pregnant by another man.

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“I said I was gonna kill the baby, you and that (expletive). You know the things I’ve done, you know what I’m capable of doing, so why do you tend to play these (expletive) games with me?” Owens wrote in 1998. “Don’t let it be true or you try to abandon me, cause betrayers will be slayed, then I can come to jail for a reason. I don’t need this but I can use a couple of bodies under my belt.”

His tone flips on a dime in the same letter. He signs it by writing: “Love you always. Death will be the only thing to separate us.”

A punishment too harsh

Owens’ attorneys cites his client’s childhood as a major reason he doesn’t deserve the death penalty. They also cite his age at the time of the crime − 19 − and say that he suffered organic brain damage, all rendering the death penalty a disproportionate punishment, they say.

In response to the defense’s argument in a filing on Wednesday, the state said the attempts by Owens and his attorneys to stop his execution were baseless.

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“A stay at this time would only result in unwarranted delay in carrying out the sentence that every sentencer has found appropriate for this petitioner – death,” the filing said.

The day after that filing was the deadline for Owens to choose his method of execution: electric chair, firing squad or lethal injection.

Saying his religious forbade him from choosing the way he’d die, his attorney, Emily Paavola, chose lethal injection.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026


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The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

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Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 7-8-3, FB: 4

Evening: 6-9-0, FB: 0

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Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 3-7-7-1, FB: 4

Evening: 1-3-5-8, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 07

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Evening: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 10 drawing

04-05-06-07-11

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

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Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

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Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season


NOTE: The above video is a livestream of WIS featuring current newscasts, Soda City Living and Gray Media’s Local News Live.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Lamont Paris will remain the head coach for South Carolina men’s basketball next season.

A source confirmed to WIS that Paris will return for his fifth season at the helm.

The Gamecocks have gone 62-67 under Paris, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2023-24 season. In the two seasons since, however, South Carolina has gone 12-20 and 13-18, respectively.

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Paris’s tenure has also included a 23-49 record against the SEC as of Tuesday.

The Gamecocks will face Oklahoma on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The game will also be televised on the SEC Network.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.



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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court

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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court


NEW YORK — Three brothers, including two of the nation’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they drugged and raped scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle.

The verdict came after 11 women testified in Manhattan federal court they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers: twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39. All three shook their heads as the jury foreperson said “guilty” 19 straight times, a powerful reckoning that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives.

Tal Alexander dropped his head into his crossed arms. Their stunned parents sat in the gallery behind them. Alon Alexander’s wife shielded her face with her hand and appeared to fight back tears.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni set sentencing for Aug. 6. The brothers, jailed since their 2024 arrests, will appeal the verdict, their lawyers said.

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“We believe in our clients’ innocence and we’re not going to stop fighting until we prevail, and we believe that we will one day prevail,” defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said outside the courthouse.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton lauded the verdict as vindication for victims of crimes that often go unreported and unpunished.

“The truth is sex trafficking and other federal sex offenses are present in many walks of life and we have not done enough to root it out,” Clayton said in a statement.

Dozens of women say they were drugged and assaulted

The verdict represented a spectacular fall for Oren and Tal Alexander, once known as real estate’s “A Team” for their high-ticket sales and celebrity clientele. After smashing sales records at industry powerhouse Douglas Elliman, the brothers started their own firm. Alon Alexander ran their family’s private security company.

Victims testified that they met the brothers at nightclubs, parties and on dating apps, and were attacked after accepting their invitations to all-expense paid getaways to the Hamptons; Aspen, Colorado; and a Caribbean cruise. More than 60 women say they were raped by one or more of the brothers, according to prosecutors.

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Defense lawyers suggested the accusers had faulty memories or were hoping to cash in on the brothers’ fortunes. The brothers were womanizers, their lawyers conceded. But they insisted any sex was consensual.

In addition to the top charges, Alon and Tal Alexander were also convicted of sex trafficking of a minor while Alon and Oren Alexander were convicted of aggravated sexual abuse by force or intoxicant and sexual abuse of a physically incapacitated person. Oren Alexander was also convicted of sexually exploiting a minor after prosecutors showed the jury a video he recorded of himself appearing to assault a drugged 17-year-old.

Lawsuits expose an open secret in the real estate world

Besides the criminal case, the brothers have faced about two dozen lawsuits over the last two years, including one filed last week in which Tracy Tutor, a star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” alleges Oren Alexander drugged and assaulted her while she was in New York City for a real estate event.

When the first of the lawsuits were filed, multiple women came forward claiming they had also been assaulted, and that the brothers’ misconduct had been an open secret in the real estate world. The government took notice and opened a criminal case.

During the trial, many women who testified said they believed the brothers had spiked their drinks. Some described feeling like they’d lost control of their bodies.

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One woman testified that she met the brothers in 2012 at a party at actor Zac Efron’s Manhattan apartment. She said she had almost no interaction with the actor, who was not accused of any misdeeds, and went to a nightclub later in the night before waking up naked with a nude Alon Alexander standing over her.

“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she testified telling him. “Haha, you already did,” she recalled him snapping back as he “laughed in my face.”

Testimony challenges claim that money drove allegations

Prosecutors pushed back against the idea that the accusers were hoping to cash in on lawsuits. Only two have lawsuits pending, prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa told jurors, and both are wealthy.

One woman who testified said she was raped by Alon Alexander in Aspen, Colorado, in 2017, when she was 17. She said she was the daughter of a billionaire.

“I don’t want their money. I just don’t want them to have it,” she told jurors.

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Lindsey Acree, an artist and gallery owner, testified she was raped by Tal Alexander and another man at a home in the Hamptons in 2011 after taking a drink that left her feeling paralyzed.

The woman said she sued last year even though she will “never need their money” because the Alexanders “kept calling us gold diggers, shake down artists, con artists.”

“If there’s a kid with a stick who keeps hitting people, you take their stick away,” she told the jury. “Money is their stick, so you take it away so they can’t hurt people anymore.”

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Acree and Tutor have done.

Copyright 2026 NPR

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