South Carolina is gearing up for its first execution in over a decade, scheduled for Friday. In the controversial case of Freddie Owens, the South Carolina Supreme Court has rejected new claims of innocence, including a key witness recanting their testimony that implicated Owens in the murder of a store clerk. Despite protests from anti-death penalty activists and calls for clemency to the governor, the execution will proceed as planned. A federal judge affirmed the decision, dismissing efforts to delay the execution. The situation has sparked significant debate over the death penalty in the state, with emotional testimonies from family members of the victim and renewed calls for justice for those who claim Owens is innocent.