Condemned inmate Freddie Owens has filed an appeal with the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals after the South Carolina Supreme Court denied his latest attempt to halt his scheduled execution on Friday. It is unclear whether the federal court will rule on the motion in time.
The South Carolina Supreme Court issued its decision late Thursday, stating they found no grounds to reconsider their earlier ruling denying a stay. Owens, 46, is set to be executed for the November 1, 1997, murder of Irene Graves during a robbery at a convenience store in Greenville County.
State officials say that Freddie Owens execution will be the first execution in South Carolina in thirteen years.