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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 1 december 2020
S.C. officials say they can’t obtain drugs by Friday execution

By MICHELLE LIU attorneys say he did not
Associated Press/Report for make a decision because
America the agency is not being
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — transparent with its execu-
South Carolina prison offi- tion protocols. Moore’s le-
cials say they have to delay gal team is also seeking to
an execution scheduled block the execution in fed-
for Friday because they eral court.
won’t be able to obtain Securing lethal injection
the necessary lethal injec- drugs has become an in-
tion drugs. An attorney for creasingly difficult task in
the state Department of the U.S. as drug manufac-
Corrections wrote in a letter turers have shied away from
to the South Carolina Su- selling to states under pres-
preme Court last week that sure from anti-death pen-
the agency cannot carry alty activists. Corrections
out the execution of Rich- chief Bryan Stirling, along
ard Bernard Moore due to with the governor and at-
the lack of drugs, which it torney general, have advo-
has not had stocked since cated for a bill to shield the
2013. The Associated Press identities of manufacturers
obtained a copy of the let- who provide such drugs.
ter. The court scheduled State lawmakers have also
Moore’s execution after he This undated file photo provided on July 11, 2019, by the South Carolina Department of Corrections mulled in recent years a
shows the new death row at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, S.C.
exhausted his federal ap- Associated Press bill to require death row
peals this month. Moore, prisoners to die by electric
55, has spent nearly two curonium bromide and Moore’s attorneys, called out the appropriate drugs. chair if lethal injection is not
decades on death row fol- potassium chloride. But the the delay “unprecedent- At the time, however, Stone available. Moore is one of
lowing his conviction for corrections agency has ed” on Monday, adding had not yet exhausted his 37 people, all men, cur-
the 1999 killing of a con- said it has not had the drugs that she wasn’t aware of appeals in court. rently on South Carolina’s
venience store clerk in in stock since 2013, when its any other execution in Prison officials say that per death row. Some prosecu-
Spartanburg County. He last supplies expired. The South Carolina history re- state law, Moore must be tors have sought the death
would be the first person agency has previously said quiring such a delay due to executed by lethal injec- penalty less often in recent
executed in South Carolina it reserves the right to ex- a lack of drugs. tion by default because he years, citing the state’s in-
in nearly a decade. ecute Moore with a single In 2017, corrections officials did not choose between ability to carry out execu-
The state’s usual injection lethal dose of the sedative said they could not carry lethal injection and elec- tions.
protocol calls for three pentobarbital. out the execution order of trocution by a deadline South Carolina’s last exe-
drugs: pentobarbital, pan- Lindsey Vann, one of Bobby Wayne Stone with- earlier this month. Moore’s cution was in 2011.q

Navy will decommission warship damaged in suspected arson

cent memory. The ship was suspect, a senior defense The ship will likely be de-
left with extensive structur- official said in late August. commissioned in San Di-
al, electrical and mechani- The sailor was questioned ego. Crew members will be
cal damage. as part of the investigation notified of reassignment.
Restoring it for another by the Naval Criminal In- The Bonhomme Richard
use, perhaps as a hospital, vestigative Service and the was nearing the end of
would take almost as long Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- a two-year upgrade esti-
as full restoration and cost co, Firearms and Explosives, mated to cost $250 million
$1 billion. an official with knowledge when the fire started.
Decommissioning the ship of the investigation said in About 160 sailors and offi-
will take nine months to a August. The official spoke cers were on board when
year and cost $30 million, to The Associated Press on the flames sent up a huge
Ver Hage said. condition of anonymity plume of dark smoke from
Navy officials and industry to provide details not yet the 840-foot (256-meter)
experts studied the cost made public. The sailor was amphibious assault vessel,
In this July 12, 2020 file photo fire crews spray water from the and schedule with an eye not detained. which had been docked
dock onto the side of the USS Bonhomme Richard, in San Diego. toward “the art of the pos- Ver Hage declined to com- at Naval Base San Diego
Associated Press sible,” Ver Hage told re- ment Monday on the sta- while undergoing the up-
By ELLIOT SPAGAT ighting capabilities would porters. They decided it tus of several investigations grade.
Associated Press cost $2.5 billion to $3 bil- wasn’t worth the money and he didn’t give a time- Firefighters attacked the
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The lion and take five to seven to restore, considering the line for their completion, flames inside the ship while
Navy said Monday that it years, said Rear Adm. Eric impact it would have on saying they “will conclude firefighting vessels with
will decommission a war- H. Ver Hage of the Navy other spending priorities. when the time is right.” water cannons directed
ship docked off San Diego Regional Maintenance “The dollars definitely Ver Hage said about 60% of streams of seawater into
after suspected arson this Center. would disrupt our strategy the ship would likely need the ship and helicopters
summer caused extensive The amphibious assault ship for investment,” he said. to be replaced to have it made water drops.
damage, making it too ex- burned for more than four Arson is suspected as the fully restored, including the More than 60 sailors and ci-
pensive to restore. days in July and was the cause of the July 12 fire, flight deck, mast and many vilians were treated for mi-
Fully repairing the USS Bon- Navy’s worst U.S. warship and a U.S. Navy sailor was levels directly below the nor injuries, heat exhaustion
homme Richard to warf- fire outside of combat in re- questioned as a potential flight deck. and smoke inhalation.q