Richard Bernard Moore was executed by lethal injection on Nov. 1, bringing closure to a 25-year-old case involving the fatal shooting of Spartanburg County store clerk James Mahoney III during a 1999 robbery.
Moore, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m., just over 20 minutes after state officials began administering the lethal injection, according to three media witnesses present at the execution. In his final statement, read by his attorney Lindsey Vann, Moore expressed remorse to Mahoney's family and gratitude to his own family and friends, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
“To the family of Mr. James Mahoney, I am deeply sorry for the pain and sorrow I caused you all,” Moore’s statement read, according to department spokesperson Chrysti Shain. Addressing his family, Moore added, “To my children and granddaughters, I love you and am so proud of you. Thank you for the joy you have brought to my life. To all of my family and friends, new and old, thank you for your love and support.”
Media witnesses Joseph Bustos of The State newspaper, Jeffrey Collins of The Associated Press, and Brookley Cromer of FOX Carolina reported that Moore appeared calm, his eyes closed, as he took several deep breaths followed by shallow ones before becoming still. Shortly after, a medical professional confirmed his death, which was officially declared by prison staff.
Witnesses included two of Mahoney's family members, identified only as “stoic” by the observers, and 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette, who had prosecuted the case. The room remained silent except for occasional sobs from Vann, who clutched a cross throughout the process.
Before the execution, Moore was served a final meal of steak, fried catfish, shrimp, scalloped potatoes, green peas, broccoli with cheese, sweet potato pie, German chocolate cake, and grape juice, Shain said.
Moore’s case, which drew significant attention due to legal and ethical debates over the death penalty, faced calls for clemency from three jurors who had sentenced him, the judge who presided over his trial, and thousands of citizens. Advocates argued that Moore, who was unarmed when he entered the store, did not deserve the death penalty, especially when high-profile South Carolina murderers such as Susan Smith and Alex Murdaugh had been given life sentences.
Gov. Henry McMaster, South Carolina’s final authority on clemency, denied Moore’s petition after reviewing legal documents, speaking with Mahoney's family, and reading letters in support of leniency. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, expressed regret over Moore’s execution, stating he saw Moore as a man who had turned to faith in his later years. Kimbrell added, “While justice demands accountability, it also affirms that redemption is possible for anyone willing to change. My one comfort tonight is knowing he is at peace with the Lord.”
Justice 360, a legal nonprofit that represented Moore, released a statement criticizing the execution as unnecessary. “The state needlessly took the life of Richard Moore — a loving father and grandfather, a loyal friend, and a devoted follower of Christ,” it read. “He was not a danger to anyone, and the state eliminated a glowing example of reform and rehabilitation.”
Moore’s death marks the second South Carolina execution since the state resumed capital punishment in September after a 13-year hiatus. In the hour leading up to his execution, opponents of the death penalty held a vigil outside the Broad River Correctional Institution, calling for a reprieve from McMaster.
The case of James Mahoney, 42, who was single but known for his kindness and love for NASCAR, has haunted his family and friends since his death. At Moore’s 2001 sentencing, Mahoney’s siblings and friends recalled his kindness, his love of building model race cars, and his willingness to help anyone with car troubles. Kathy Kelley, Mahoney’s sister, stated publicly in 2020 that her family had suffered long enough and urged the state to carry out Moore’s sentence.
The events of the 1999 shooting at Nikki’s Speedy Mart unfolded around 3 a.m. when Moore entered the store, picked up two beers, and approached Mahoney at the counter. Moore, unarmed, claimed he did not intend to rob the store. However, a struggle erupted, leading Mahoney to draw a concealed weapon. After Moore wrestled the gun away, Mahoney retrieved another gun, resulting in a shootout that left Mahoney fatally wounded and Moore injured.
Moore fled the scene with a bag containing $1,408 in cash but was arrested soon after. His words to officers were reportedly, “I did it. I did it. I give up.”
Convicted in 2001 of murder and other charges, Moore received a death sentence from an all-White jury. His attorneys later argued that the racial composition of the jury was manipulated by prosecutors, who allegedly struck all eligible Black jurors. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review this claim the day before Moore’s execution.
South Carolina has executed 44 inmates since 1976 without a single grant of clemency, according to the Associated Press, making it the only state with such a record.
