South Carolina is on the verge of executing Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, on Friday, but a dramatic new development has emerged. The key prosecution witness, Steven Golden, has come forward with an affidavit stating that Allah is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.
Allah, previously known as Freddie Owens, was convicted in 1997 for the armed robbery and murder of a convenience store cashier, Irene Graves. At the time, Allah was 19 years old. The primary evidence against him was Golden's testimony. Golden, who was also charged in the case, had initially identified Allah as the shooter.
However, just two days before the execution, Golden has admitted in a sworn affidavit that Allah was not present during the robbery and did not shoot Graves. Golden claimed that he had previously lied due to fear for his safety and pressure from authorities. He stated that he wanted to come forward now for the sake of his conscience and to prevent an innocent man from being executed.
In response to this new information, Allah's attorneys have filed an emergency motion to stop the execution, arguing that Allah should not die for a crime he did not commit. They have also petitioned the governor’s office for clemency.
The state attorney general's office, however, has questioned the credibility of Golden’s new statement, pointing out inconsistencies with his earlier testimonies. They also highlighted that other individuals had testified that Allah had confessed to being the shooter.
Allah's execution, the first in South Carolina in 13 years, marks a significant moment as the state has recently resumed capital punishment after a hiatus due to drug supply issues. South Carolina has planned additional executions in the coming months.
The Rev. Hillary Taylor of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty has condemned the planned execution, calling it a "huge miscarriage of justice" and emphasizing that executing Allah would not bring true justice.
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