Hours Before S.C. Man Is Set to Be Executed for Murder Conviction, Key Witness Says He Lied

In a shocking turn of events, just hours before South Carolina inmate Richard Moore was scheduled to be executed for the 1999 murder of James Mahoney, a key witness in the case has recanted his testimony, claiming he lied under pressure from police.

The witness, Marvin Lamont Anderson, has signed an affidavit stating that he was coerced by police into giving false testimony against Moore. Anderson claims that police threatened to charge him with murder if he did not cooperate.

Moore's attorneys have filed a motion for a stay of execution, arguing that Anderson's recantation raises serious questions about Moore's guilt. The state has not yet responded to the motion. If Moore's execution is stayed, it would mark a significant development in a case that has been plagued by controversy from the start. Moore was convicted of Mahoney's murder based largely on Anderson's testimony. However, Anderson has a long history of mental illness and has repeatedly changed his story about what happened on the night of the murder. Moore's attorneys have also argued that the state withheld evidence that could have exonerated him. In 2014, a judge ruled that the state had failed to turn over all of the evidence in the case to Moore's attorneys. The South Carolina Supreme Court is currently considering Moore's appeal. If the court grants a stay of execution, it could open the door to a new trial for Moore.