Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, killed by lethal injection days after state’s key witness recanted critical testimony
South Carolina executed a man on death row on Friday, days after the key witness for the prosecution came forward to say he lied at trial and the state was putting to death an innocent man.
Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, 46, was killed by lethal injection, pronounced dead at 6.55pm, according to the Associated Press, which was one of several media witnesses to the execution.
His lawyers had filed emergency motions for a delay this week, citing new testimony suggesting he was wrongfully convicted. But the state supreme court rejected the pleas and Henry McMaster, the Republican governor, announced just before the execution that he would not be granting clemency.
Whenever this discussion happens in my country, where the death penalty has been abolished, I always point them to cases like this. They argue “But we will be better”. Historically we have not been better, and we are only getting worse.