SC sets execution date for Georgia man who killed

[SoulTrainOz]

6-year-old boy.

A Georgia man who kidnapped, raped and murdered a 6-year-old boy in 1999 will be put to death July 14, the state Supreme Court said Friday.

William "Junior" Downs, 38, pleaded guilty in 2002 to raping and killing Keenan O'Mailia of North Augusta and asked during sentencing to be put to death.

O'Mailia's body was found in April 1999 covered with debris. The boy disappeared the night before, when he was riding his bicycle near his home.

Downs, of Augusta, Ga., said he stopped the boy, threw him down and strangled him.

Earlier this month, the state Supreme Court decided Downs was mentally competent to be executed. In March, Downs' lawyer Robert Dudek said Downs told him he would rather die since the best he could get out of an appeal would be a life sentence without parole.

A year after he was sent to death row, Downs pleaded not guilty to murder and sexual assault charges in the death of 10-year-old James Porter, whose body was found in the Augusta Canal 2 months after he disappeared in March 1991.

Police said Downs confessed to that slaying.

(source: Associated Press)

[SoulTrainOz]

A Georgia man who dropped his appeals and asked to be put to death for kidnapping, raping and killing a 6-year-old boy from South Carolina is unlikely to change his mind before Friday's scheduled execution, his attorney says.

William Downs, who turned 39 on Wednesday, said 4 years ago that it would be "disrespectful to the whole world" if he was not sentenced to die for killing Keenan O'Mailia, whose body was found in April 1999 in North Augusta.

Downs, who is scheduled to die at 6 p.m. Friday, has said he stopped O'Mailia along a dirt path, asked him his name and then threw him to the ground and strangled him.

Downs, of Augusta, Ga., pleaded guilty in June 2002, but before sentencing he told Circuit Judge Casey Manning he deserved to die for his crime.

"I think it would be disrespectful to the family and disrespectful to the whole world if you did not give me the death penalty," Downs said then.

Downs' attorney Robert Dudek said he will have requests for a stay of execution on hand Friday in case Downs changes his mind at the last minute.

"I do not expect Mr. Downs to change his mind, but he certainly could," said Dudek, who plans to meet with Downs on Friday morning.

A spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford said there were no plans for leniency.

"Our office has reviewed the case, and the governor will not be granting clemency," spokesman Joel Sawyer said.

Dudek said several members of Downs' family from the Augusta area were planning to come to Columbia and possibly witness the execution.

In 2003, Downs was extradited to Augusta where pleaded not guilty in the 1991 death of a 10-year-old boy whose body was found in the Augusta Canal.

Police said Downs had confessed several years earlier in the slaying of James Porter. The boy went missing before his body was found, and officials originally thought he had accidentally drowned.

Downs would be the 36th person executed in South Carolina since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976.

The last person executed in South Carolina, Shawn Humphries, 34, became the 1,001st person to be executed in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated. Humphries was convicted for the shooting death of a Simponsville store clerk on New Year's Day 1994.

(source: Associated Press)

[SoulTrainOz]

Prisoner has asked to die for killing 6-year-old boy

By MEG KINNARD, The Associated Press

A Georgia man who dropped his appeals and asked to be put to death for kidnapping, raping and killing a 6-year-old South Carolina boy is unlikely to change his mind before today's scheduled execution, his attorney says.

William Downs, who turned 39 on Wednesday, said four years ago that it would be "disrespectful to the whole world" if he was not sentenced to die for killing Keenan O'Mailia, whose body was found in April 1999 in North Augusta.

Downs, who is scheduled to die at 6 p.m., has said he stopped O'Mailia along a dirt path, asked him his name and then threw him to the ground and strangled him.

Downs, of Augusta, pleaded guilty in June 2002, but before sentencing he told Circuit Judge Casey Manning he deserved to die for his crime.

"I think it would be disrespectful to the family and disrespectful to the whole world if you did not give me the death penalty," Downs said then.

Downs' attorney Robert Dudek said he will have requests for a stay of execution on hand in case Downs changes his mind at the last minute.

"I do not expect Mr. Downs to change his mind, but he certainly could," said Dudek, who planned to meet with Downs this morning.

A spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford said there were no plans for leniency.

"Our office has reviewed the case, and the governor will not be granting clemency," spokesman Joel Sawyer said.

Dudek said several members of Downs' family from the Augusta area were planning to come to Columbia and possibly witness the execution.

In 2003, Downs was extradited to Augusta, where pleaded not guilty in the 1991 death of a 10-year-old boy whose body was found in the Augusta Canal.

Police said Downs had confessed several years earlier in the slaying of James Porter. The boy had been reported missing before his body was found, and officials originally thought he had accidentally drowned.

Downs would be the 36th person executed in South Carolina since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976.

The last person executed in South Carolina, Shawn Humphries, 34, became the 1,001st person to be executed in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated. Humphries was convicted for the shooting death of a Simponsville store clerk on New Year's Day 1994.

Source : Associated Press

www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15035045.htm