US: 5 executions planned in a week, who're the convicts?
What's the story
The United States is set to carry out five executions within a single week, an unusually high number. If completed, it will mark the first time since July 2003 that five executions occurred in seven days, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). These executions are scheduled for Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
Convict profiles
Details of the convicts and their crimes
One of the execution has already been carried out last week in South Carolina, where Freddie Owens was sentenced to death for a 1997 murder. This marked the state's first execution in 13 years. The remaining four executions are scheduled for this week. If they proceed as planned, they will bring the total number of executions carried out since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 to 1,600, according to Robin Maher from the DPIC.
Expert opinions
Experts weigh in
Experts believe that this unusual surge in executions is primarily due to individual states setting execution dates after inmates have exhausted their legal options. Eric Berger, a law professor at the University of Nebraska, attributes this occurrence to coincidence. He further explained that issues such as difficulties in obtaining lethal drugs or delays caused by botched executions can lead to a backlog, potentially contributing to this sudden increase.
Upcoming executions
Remaining executions
The remaining executions include Alan Miller in Alabama, who is set to die via nitrogen gas inhalation. Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on Tuesday for a 1998 murder. Emmanuel Littlejohn is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on Thursday in Oklahoma for a 1998 murder-robbery. Lastly, Travis Mullis, a 38-year-old man with a long history of mental illness, was put to death in Texas on Tuesday for the murder of his infant son Alijah in 2008.