South Carolina Supreme Court Halts Execution of Richard Moore by Firing Squad

The South Carolina Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of execution Wednesday for Richard Bernard Moore, who was scheduled to be the first person executed by firing squad in the state. Moore, 57, was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of a convenience store clerk and was set to be executed on April 29. In a court filing, Moore chose firing squad over the electric chair, citing his strong opposition to death by electrocution.

Key Takeaways:

• Richard Moore, a 57-year-old death row inmate, was scheduled to be the first person executed by firing squad in South Carolina.
• Moore chose firing squad over the electric chair, citing his strong opposition to death by electrocution.
• South Carolina's Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of execution, halting the proceedings.
• Moore was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of a convenience store clerk.
• He has two pending court challenges to the constitutionality of the state's death penalty method.
• Moore's case has highlighted the rarity of execution by firing squad in the United States, with only three inmates having been executed in this manner.

Statistics:

• There are 35 people on death row in South Carolina.
• South Carolina is one of four states where execution by firing squad is legal, along with Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah.
• Three inmates in the United States have been executed by firing squad since it became a permissible method in some states.

Sources:

• Lindsey Vann, attorney for Richard Moore, CNN
• Richard Moore's court filing
• South Carolina Department of Corrections
• Death Penalty Information Center
• CNN