The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stop the execution of Freddie Owens who is set to die by lethal injection next week in the state's first execution in 13 years. The justices unanimously tossed out two requests from defense lawyers who said a court needed to hear new information about what they called a secret deal that kept a co-defendant off death row or from serving life in prison and about a juror who correctly surmised Owens was wearing a stun belt at his 1999 trial.

The state has resumed capital punishment after a 13-year pause, passing a law to keep lethal injection suppliers secret.

After decades on death row, Richard Moore faces a choice between electrocution or a firing squad, but the former prison chief says he doesn't deserve to die.