South-Carolina

Louisiana, Arizona end pauses on capital punishment as 3 executions set for March

Published

9 months ago

February 12, 2025

Louisiana, Arizona end pauses on capital punishment as 3 executions set for March

Three states have scheduled executions in March, including one eyeing a controversial nitrogen gas method in order to carry it out and another state that struggled to insert IVs into three separate inmates during their lethal injections.

Louisiana’s execution of Christopher Sepulvado on March 17 would mark the end of a 15-year break in executions in the state, which plans to use nitrogen gas. Arizona’s execution of Aaron Gunches on March 19 would be the first in the state since 2022, when the state struggled to carry out three executions.

Meanwhile South Carolina is set to execute its fourth inmate since September, when the state reinstated the practice after a 13-year pause.

“The resumption of executions in states which have not killed prisoners in over a decade is a troubling last gasp for the death penalty in the United States,” Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, told USA TODAY on Wednesday. “Killing old men decades after their crimes does not make us safer, nor does it bring back the victims in these cases.”

Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement Monday that “justice will be dispensed.”

“For too long, Louisiana has failed to uphold the promises made to victims of our State’s most violent crimes,” he said. “I anticipate the national press will embellish on the feelings and interests of the violent death row murderers, we will continue to advocate for the innocent victims and the loved ones left behind.”

So far this year, the U.S. has executed three inmates, with two more scheduled to die and on Thursday and at least 12 more by the end of the year. Here’s what to know about the newly scheduled executions.

Louisiana ends prohibition on death penalty

A De Soto Parish judge granted a death warrant Tuesday for 81-year-old Christopher Sepulvado to be executed on March 17 for the murder of his 6-year-old stepson in 1993.

Attorney General Liz Murrill told The Associated Press that the state will use nitrogen gas and expects to execute four inmates this year.

The Rev. Jeff Hood, a spiritual advisor for Death Row inmates and anti-death penalty activist, was a witness to the first nitrogen gas execution in the United States − that of Kenny Eugene Smith on Jan. 25, 2024 − and described it as being “horrific.”

“Kenny was shaking the entire gurney. I had never seen something so violent,” Hood wrote in a column for USA TODAY following the execution of Kenneth Smith. “There was nothing in his body that was calm. Everything was going everywhere all at once, over and over.”

Sepulvado’s attorney, Shawn Nolan, told KTBS-TV that the inmate is in poor health and confined to a wheelchair.

“Chris Sepulvado is a debilitated old man suffering from serious medical ailments,” he said. “There is no conceivable reason why ‘justice’ might be served by executing Chris instead of letting him live out his few remaining days in prison.”

Arizona to restart executions after review

The Arizona State Supreme Court granted a warrant of execution for Aaron Gunches on Tuesday, setting the first execution in the state in more than two years for March 19, reported The Arizona Republic − a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Gunches was sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, a former longtime boyfriend of Gunches’ girlfriend. Gunches has advocated for his execution, and the state’s Supreme Court previously granted a death warrant for him in 2023 that was not completed when Democratic state leadership paused executions upon taking office.

Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes suspended capital punishment pending a review of Arizona’s death penalty process because the state struggled to insert IVs for three lethal injection executions in 2022: those of Clarence Dixon, Frank Atwood and Murray Hooper.

Dixon’s attorneys said it took 40 minutes to insert IVs. Dixon’s execution team resorted to inserting an IV line into his femoral vein, which caused him to experience pain and resulted in a “fair amount of blood,” according to Associated Press reporter Paul Davenport, who witnessed the execution.

The execution team for Atwood also struggled to insert IVs, prompting technicians to consider the femoral vein, as well. However, Atwood asked the team to try his arms again, eventually guiding them to insert the line into one of his hands successfully.

During Hooper’s execution, he turned and asked the viewing gallery, “Can you believe this?” as the execution team tried and failed repeatedly to insert IVs into his arms before inserting a catheter into his femoral vein.

Hobbs ended the review process late last year, and Mayes announced she was pursuing the execution of Gunches.

State officials have said there will now be additional members on the execution team, including a phlebotomist. During previous executions, the IV team was sometimes staffed with corrections officers.

South Carolina to execute fourth person in five months

Meanwhile the South Carolina Supreme Court on Friday scheduled a March 7 execution date for Brad Sigmon for the 2001 murder of a couple and the kidnapping of their daughter, according to the Greenville News − a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Sigmon would be the fourth man executed by the state since September if the execution is completed, following Freddie “Khalil” Owens, Richard Moore and Marion Bowman last month.

Lawyers representing Sigmon, 67, filed a motion last week to stay Sigmon’s executionafter reviewing Moore’s autopsy.

According to the motion, the previous three men remained alive for 20 minutes after receiving a dose of pentobarbital, and Moore had to be injected a second time.

“This raises grave concerns: that during all three of SCDC’s recent executions, the drugs were either not properly administered, not reliable and effective, or all of the above,” according to the motion.

USA TODAY reached out to the South Carolina Department of Corrections for a response.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina’s win over Coastal was a best-case scenario

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina’s win over Coastal was a best-case scenario

On Saturday afternoon, South Carolina defeated Coastal Carolina, 51-7. An optimistic view of things would view the win as a launching pad of sorts for USC ahead of the annual rivalry game against Clemson. Frankly speaking, the strong showing against Coastal was a best-case scenario for the Gamecocks.

Below are four reasons why that is the case.

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South Carolina won and won big

In a season that will see the Gamecocks finish with a losing record—and one in which the team had lost five games in a row—a win feels like a big deal. Even though South Carolina was playing a lesser opponent on Saturday, the pessimistic feelings that come with losing had some within the fanbase questioning if Shane Beamer’s team might be shut out of the win column the rest of the way.

Not only did Carolina earn a W against Coastal Carolina, but they won big, just as they should.

The Gamecocks dominated from the jump, getting a 75-yard TD on its first offensive snap and never looking back. Even after that, USC had 500 more yards of offense for the game.

The defense didn’t allow a score, and Coastal’s only points came via a blocked punt. Players like Shawn Murphy and Justin Okoronkwo were excellent, perhaps granting them an increased level of personal confidence.

The efforts on offense and defense should create a little momentum after last week’s letdown against Texas A&M.

South Carolina also executed almost everything that they attempted against the Chanticleers. They put a lot of things on film for Clemson, meaning the Tigers should be extra busy during their film study this week ahead of the Palmetto Bowl.

A lot of Gamecocks saw the field

Saturday was Senior Day for 23 Gamecocks. Sure, players like DQ Smith, Nick Barrett, Bryan Thomas Jr., Rahsul Faison, Oscar Adaway, Monkell Goodwine, JT Geer, William Joyce, and Cole Rasmussen played; they always do. But Senior Day should honor all the seniors, not just the ones who get into the game on most Saturdays.

Because of that, it was really nice for a handful of non-starting seniors to get onto the field at Williams-Brice Stadium. Guys like Luke Doty, Bradley Dunn, Jared Brown, and more played an increased number of snaps. Dunn even scored a touchdown. It’s only right that players like that have one additional chance to see game action after all they’ve poured into the program behind the scenes.

Beyond those veterans, South Carolina football fans got to see some young talent strap up, as well. In some ways, it could be a glimpse at the future in garnet and black.

Quarterbacks Cutter Woods and Air Noland each played in the fourth quarter. Freshman Mike Tyler had his first career catch, and Jordon Gidron was targeted for his first touchdown before a defensive pass interference flag ended that hope. Damarcus Leach, Jaquel Holman, Kelvin Hunter, and Christian Ingram all registered at least one tackle.

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Seemingly no one got hurt

Two key pieces to the 2025 Gamecocks, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and EDGE Dylan Stewart, missed the Coastal game. Head coach Shane Beamer is optimistic that they will be back for the Clemson game next week.

Aside from the two stars in street clothes, Beamer didn’t share any injury updates on Saturday. That should be considered good news. Other than players dealing with known long-term injuries, USC appears pretty healthy heading into its season finale.

In a feel-good moment, offensive lineman Ryan Brubaker got into the game. The big fella has battled injuries throughout his collegiate career, and according to Beamer, there was a question as to whether he would ever play again. He did on Saturday.

Mike Furrey, LaNorris Sellers, and the offense looked good and confident

Interim playcaller Mike Furrey has guided South Carolina to its two best halves of the season; the first two quarters against Texas A&M and Coastal Carolina are the best halves of offensive football for the team all year. Improving from what happened last week, the Gamecocks didn’t fold in the second half, and the offense maintained some success after halftime.

Furrey was creative, both with his formations and with his playcalls. He got the ball to his playmakers in space. He also got a lot of personnel involved, even before the score got out of hand. That led to 579 yards and 51 points. That’s not so bad.

Perhaps as important as Furrey’s role in the offense, quarterback LaNorris Sellers looked good and comfortable. That hasn’t always been the case this fall.

Sellers finished the game with 356 yards of offense and four touchdowns. He completed 80% of his passes and played turnover-free football. In nine drives, he guided the offense to six touchdowns and a field goal. Sellers connected with his younger brother, Jayden, and fellow freshman Donovan Murph on their first collegiate touchdowns, too.

The younger Sellers posted 127 yards receiving, one off the team-high for the season. He and the other receivers appear to have an extra bit of juice in their games, as they play for their position coach as playcaller.

With the offense being South Carolina’s biggest issue most of the season, a showing as good as Saturday’s was much needed.

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U.S. Marshals Service investigation leads to Detroit man’s arrest in South Carolina

Published

24 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

U.S. Marshals Service investigation leads to Detroit man’s arrest in South Carolina

Nick Lentz

Updated on: November 22, 2025 / 2:36 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

A U.S. Marshals Service investigation led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man, wanted by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, in South Carolina, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia helped with the investigation. Officials there said they were notified by the federal agency last week that a 35-year-old Detroit man wanted on an Oakland County arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on two charges was in Toccoa, Georgia, around 94 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Investigators later learned the man was in Oconee County, South Carolina, officials said. The federal agency, with assistance from law enforcement in Georgia and South Carolina, located and arrested the man on Thursday.

As of Thursday, he remains in the Oconee County Jail and is waiting to be extradited to Michigan, according to officials.

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South-Carolina

GSP airport listed as measles exposure site amid growing Upstate outbreak

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

GSP airport listed as measles exposure site amid growing Upstate outbreak

(WACH) — South Carolina health officials are warning travelers about possible measles exposure at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport after a contracted employee tested positive, the Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Thursday.

Visitors at the airport on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day may have been exposed.

The alert comes as DPH reports three new measles cases this week, bringing the total tied to the Upstate outbreak to 52 and the statewide total for the year to 55.

RELATED | Five new measles cases reported in South Carolina’s Upstate

Two of the new cases involve household contacts of existing patients, while one appears to stem from unknown community transmission.

Contact tracing from the latest cases has placed 137 people in quarantine and one in isolation, DPH said.

That includes 57 individuals from Lyman Elementary, 55 from Boiling Springs Middle School and one student at D.R. Hill Middle School. All

affected families and staff have been notified, and students who complete quarantine without symptoms are expected to return to class Nov. 29.

In a statement to WACH FOX, Spartanburg District Five, where Lyman Elementary and D.R. Hill Middle School are located, said:

Spartanburg District Five was first notified of the positive case at Lyman Elementary School on November 10, and our district and school health staff immediately began contact tracing to determine other students and/or staff who were exposed and had to be quarantined. As a result, we identified two students at nearby D.R. Hill Middle School who were also exposed, one of who has already received the necessary vaccination and returned to school. We immediately communicated with those impacted families, and then with our entire school community to inform them of the situation. Our maintenance and custodial teams also immediately began working to sanitize any areas where the infected student may have been. We will continue working with the Department of Public Health to ensure the safety of all students and staff in Spartanburg District Five.

DPH also identified a second possible exposure site: Way of Truth Church in Inman, where an infectious individual attended services on Nov. 7 from 7–11 p.m. and on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Anyone who was at GSP airport or the church during the listed times is urged to monitor for symptoms and contact a health care provider if they become ill. People exposed at the church should watch for symptoms through Nov. 30; those exposed at the airport should monitor through Dec. 2.

In a statement to WACH FOX, GSP said:

While we do not have additional details about the individual’s role or movements, we encourage anyone who believes they may have been exposed on November 10 or 11, to review the Department of Public Health’s guidance and follow their recommendations.

RELATED | ‘Give thanks, not illnesses;’ SCDPH encourages vaccinations ahead of holiday season

Measles symptoms typically begin 7–12 days after exposure with cough, runny nose, red eyes and fever, followed by a high fever and a spreading rash. Individuals are contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after.

DPH will offer MMR vaccinations Monday, Nov. 24, from 12–3 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Spartanburg and is prioritizing requests from community groups seeking mobile vaccination events.

Of the 52 outbreak-related cases, 31 are in children ages 5–17 and 10 are in children under 5. Most cases involve unvaccinated individuals, with 49 unvaccinated and two partially vaccinated, according to DPH.

WACH FOX has reached out to Spartanburg District 2 for comment.

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