South-Carolina

The son of a South Carolina inmate urges the governor to save his father from execution

Published

4 hours ago

October 16, 2024

The son of a South Carolina inmate urges the governor to save his father from execution

COLUMBIA, S.C. — COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Richard Moore never meant to kill anyone the night he robbed a South Carolina convenience store and the Black man was convicted by a jury with no African Americans, his son and lawyers say as they fight to save the inmate from execution next month.

Moore went unarmed into a Spartanburg County store to rob it in 1999, took a gun from a clerk when it was pointed at him and fatally shot the clerk in the chest as the two struggled.

The inmate’s son, Lyndall Moore, said his father is now the only prisoner left on the state’s death row convicted by a jury without any Black people.

“He’s a human being who made mistakes,” Moore added. “And this particular mistake led to the death of another human being. But his sentence is completely disproportionate to the actual crime.”

South Carolina ended a 13-year pause on executions last month with the lethal injection of Freddie Owens. Moore is set to be executed Nov. 1.

Moore’s lawyers have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution, saying a lower court should review whether it was fair that no African Americans were on the jury that considered Moore’s fate in Spartanburg County, which was 20% Black in the 2000 U.S. Census.

They also hope Moore will become the first South Carolina inmate whose death sentence is commuted to life without parole since executions in the U.S. resumed in 1976.

Only South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster can grant clemency. A former prosecutor, McMaster didn’t grant it for Owens and has said previously that he tends to trust juries and the court system.

But Moore’s family and lawyers contend executing Moore is too harsh a punishment. In a state where the governor and prison director have made a priority of getting inmates to turn their lives around, Moore’s spotless record behind bars and his reputation for helping other inmates merits a reprieve, they say.

“He’s very remorseful and sorry for the horrible, tragic decisions he made in his life. But he spent the past 20 years really trying to make up for that by loving the people he still has in his life,” attorney Lindsey Vann said.

Moore killed clerk James Mahoney, 40, a man with some disabilities who loved his family and tried to take care of co-workers.

The prosecutors in Moore’s case included Trey Gowdy, a Republican who later served four terms in Congress, and Barry Barnette, currently the solicitor in Spartanburg County. Both have declined comment, with Gowdy saying the 1999 trial speaks for itself.

In asking the jury to sentence Moore to death, Gowdy reminded them of Moore’s criminal record for stealing and robbing to gain drug money.

He focused on how after shooting Mahoney, Moore — also shot in the arm in the struggle — walked over the dying clerk’s body looking for cash.

“The hopes and the goals and the dreams of a 40-year-old man are coming out of his heart, and the cold, wet drops of blood of a career criminal are dripping on his back,” Gowdy said. “There is a time for mercy, ladies and gentlemen. That time has come and gone.”

Moore’s supporters said the trial represents plenty that is wrong about the death penalty in South Carolina, how arbitrary it is because prosecutors can make political points by bringing a number of death penalty cases when the cases don’t represent the worst of unrepentant, cruel and heinous criminals.

And then there is the problem of a jury without Black representation, Vann said.

“I’m really struck by the image that I’ve had of Richard’s trial where there’s a white prosecutor, white judge, white defense attorneys, an all-white jury and he’s the only person in the room who is African American and he’s being judged by a jury who has no one who looks like him,” Vann said.

Moore has had two prior execution dates, both postponed at a time when the state only had the electric chair and a firing squad. Since then, lethal injection has been added as an option, aided by passage of a law allowing suppliers of lethal injection drugs to remain secret.

Lyndall Moore said the more people get to know his father, the more they realize what a tragedy it would be to take an awful thing Richard Moore did in killing a man and make it worse by taking someone who turned their life around and tried to give something back.

He said he hopes McMaster would take the time to really get to know his father, not just glance at a file on his desk.

“He’s not some menacing figure. He’s just a regular dude. … He’s had a lot of time to think about, to reflect on what’s gotten him to this point. He’s very clearly, very obviously regretful of everything,” Lyndall Moore said.

Richard Moore told The Post and Courier of Charleston in 2022 that his lawyers advised him not to reach out to Mahoney’s family, but if he did, he would let them know he is “truly, truly sorry that he died at the hands of my actions.”

“I am not the same person I was the night I took Mr. Mahoney’s life. I have grown. I feel as though I still have a story to tell,” Moore said.

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South-Carolina

Everything LaNorris Sellers said ahead of Week 8 contest against Oklahoma

Published

12 hours ago

October 15, 2024

Press Room

Everything LaNorris Sellers said ahead of Week 8 contest against Oklahoma

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of the team’s Week 8 contest against Oklahoma. Here’s what he had to say.

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On whether South Carolina has worked on masking signals between plays

“We usually go through single changes. If it gets seen or anything, we go through a change.”

On how close South Carolina is from having a complete win

“It’s really close. Like we talked about in the teem meeting today, we’re close. We’re banging on the door right now. So, we just got to get through it.”

On finding balance when it comes to thinking about fumbles

“I feel like, you, obviously, have to think about it. But you’ve still got to just go out there and play. If they happen, they happen – you’ve just got to move on from them. You don’t want them to happen, but if you worry about them happening, they’re going to happen. So, you just got to go out there and play.”

On what Sellers has worked on in practice to improve ball security

“So, we always emphasize on ball security stuff. It’s, just – it wasn’t like anything you practice. This is me having to balance out between making a play and just in knowing when the journey is over and just taking sack.”

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On what allowed Sellers to pass efficiently against Alabama

“It’s a mix of all those things (scheme, comfortability and wide receivers’ separation from defenders). Just timing, the way we practice, and then, just me being comfortable, like you said – me actually seeing it, going through my progressions and everything.”

On throwing more deep balls against Alabama

“I guess you could say it’s just a scheme. Ole Miss – they play really soft. Against ‘Bama, they had some holes in the defense that we just saw and took advantage of.”

On Sellers’ comfortability with wearing contacts

“I got comfortable, but I usually just wear them in practice. I forgot to get my glasses today – that’s the only reason I got them in right now.”

On Sellers’ chemistry with Mazeo Bennett

“(We were) pretty much playing at the same time. Just us being from here, we trained together growing up. (We) had the same position trainer group, or whatever you can say. So, it was just special to see. We’re learning together, gelling together, like you said.”

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South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers Has To Do This to Beat Oklahoma

Published

19 hours ago

October 15, 2024

Press Room

South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers Has To Do This to Beat Oklahoma

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Norris needs a big performance against Oklahoma.

The South Carolina Gamecocks nearly pulled off a massive upset against Alabama this past weekend, but came up just short. They now are faced with a road game against the Oklahoma Sooners this weekend and it will be a big weekend for South Carolina’s offense as the Sooners have been playing like one of the best defenses in the conference.

Oklahoma ranks as the 40th-best rush defense in the country right now allowing an average of 117 yards per game but their passing defense ranks 77th in the country allowing an average of 220 yards per game. That means it will likely need to be a big day for South Carolina’s passing attack and quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Sellers played relatively well against Alabama. He threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns and 74 percent of his passes. The only downfall was he turned the ball over three times on Saturday. Two fumbles and an interception is what overshadowed Sellers’ performance against the Crimson Tide. Turnovers overall have been an issue for the Gamecocks’ offense and it is something that they are going to have to get fixed for this week’s game.

Oklahoma has forced 14 turnovers this season which is the fourth most in the country. The Sooners may be having their fair share of offensive struggles this season but their defense is doing everything they can to make up for it, and that means South Carolina can’t afford to gift them possessions this weekend, especially not on the road.

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Brent Venables confirms Oklahoma’s starting QB for South Carolina game

Published

1 day ago

October 15, 2024

Press Room

Brent Venables confirms Oklahoma’s starting QB for South Carolina game

Brent Venables has been dealing with a quarterback controversy this season.

The Oklahoma head coach decided to bench Jackson Arnold during the Tennessee game, and freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. has been the starter since. However, Hawkins has delivered mixed results and the Sooners are now sitting at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.

In Week 7, the Sooners were dominated by the rival Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry. During the game, fans began to call for Arnold to be reinserted as the team’s QB. However, on Monday’s coaches show, Venables revealed the team will stick with Hawkins for now.

“You want to give guys a real opportunity to show what they can do and have a body of work and not be so quick to judge,” said Venables. “Jackson had a fantastic week of practice a week ago but we didn’t feel that’s what we needed to do.”

Brent Venables says on his coaches show that Michael Hawkins Jr. is still the starter at quarterback for the #Sooners.
He said that Jackson Arnold had a fantastic week of practice last week, but felt that wasn’t the direction they needed to go.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) October 15, 2024

“You want to give guys a real opportunity to show what they can do and have a body of work and not be so quick to judge.” – Venables when asked about the quarterback position. “Jackson had a fantastic week of practice a week ago but we didn’t feel that’s what we needed to do.”
— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) October 15, 2024

Even with Arnold having a “fantastic week of practice,” the coach clearly feels like Hawkins gives the team the best chance to win.

Hawkins has thrown for 458 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. The dual-threat QB has also added 128 rushing yards. Before being benched, Arnold threw for 538 yards with 7 TDs and 3 INTs.

OU’s next game will be in Week 8 against South Carolina.

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