On Friday, South Carolina carried out the execution of Marion Bowman Jr. by lethal injection. This marked the first execution in the United States this year. Bowman, who was 51 years old, was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m.
Bowman had been on death row for 24 years after being convicted of the 2001 murder of 21-year-old Kandee Martin, a young mother. Martin was killed just five days before her son’s second birthday. Police discovered her body in the trunk of her burned car, and she had multiple gunshot wounds.
Although Bowman admitted that he knew Martin and had sold crack cocaine to her, he always claimed he was not responsible for her murder.
Bowman’s Final Words
Before his execution, Bowman continued to maintain his innocence in a final statement shared through his legal team.
“I did not kill Kandee Martin. I’m innocent of the crimes I’m here to die for,” he said.
Despite his claims, Bowman acknowledged the pain Martin’s family had endured for over two decades.
“If my death brings them some relief and ability to focus on the good times and funny stories, then I guess it will have served a purpose,” he stated. “I hope they find peace.”
Martin’s family had been waiting for this execution for years, believing it would finally bring them closure. Speaking before the execution, they said they had been counting down the minutes until Bowman’s sentence was carried out.
“He’s had 24 years to find God and tie up his loose ends,” Martin’s family said. “We never got that opportunity. What was left of Kandee is in a coffin in the ground.”
Bowman’s Views on the Death Penalty
In his final statement, Bowman also spoke about the way society views death row inmates.
“We are labeled as the worst of the worst,” he said. “But none of these guys that I have gotten to know and grown to love are the people they were when they made their mistakes.”
He suggested that if people saw the daily lives of prisoners, their opinions on the death penalty might change.
“We all pray for grace and forgiveness, but the outside world only sees the monsters portrayed by the state. Our real voices are silenced,” he added.
He ended his statement with: “We are not what the state labels us to be. We are kind, caring, loving people, and it’s a shame the world can’t see that.”
Bowman’s Last Meal
Before his execution, Bowman had a final meal of fried shrimp, fish, oysters, chicken wings, chicken tenders, and onion rings. For dessert, he had banana pudding and German chocolate cake. His last drinks were pineapple juice and cranberry juice.
