Richard Moore Faces Execution Amid Racial Bias Claims

Richard Moore, a 59-year-old Black man convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to death for the 1999 killing of white convenience store clerk James Mahoney, is scheduled for execution in South Carolina, raising allegations of racial bias. Moore's defense argues he acted in self-defense during a confrontation where he was unarmed and short on cash, and that his death sentence is unjust and racially motivated. His lawyers claim he is the only inmate on South Carolina's death row convicted by a jury lacking African American members, and they are appealing for clemency from Governor Henry McMaster. Notably, two jurors from his trial and a former state prison director are among those urging clemency, citing Moore's personal transformation and the lack of precedent for executing an unarmed defendant in such cases. A South Carolina state supreme court justice has also expressed doubts about the legality of Moore's execution, stating it does not exemplify the 'worst of the worst' cases warranting capital punishment. The governor's decision on clemency is expected shortly before the scheduled execution time.