"Stephen Stanko Faces Execution in South Carolina for Double Murder: Death Penalty Decision Looms"
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"Stephen Stanko Faces Execution in South Carolina for Double Murder: Death Penalty Decision Looms"
[!CDATA[A man in South Carolina, Stephen Stanko, is facing execution on June 13 for the murder of two individuals. The state Supreme Court issued a death warrant against Stanko for the shooting death of his friend in Horry County. Stanko is also on death row for killing a woman he lived with in Georgetown County and raping her teenage daughter. He will have the choice between death by firing squad, lethal injection, or the electric chair, with a decision deadline of May 30. Stanko, aged 57, is being executed for the murder of his 74-year-old friend, Henry Turner. He shot Turner at his home in 2006 after fabricating a story about his father's death. Stanko then stole Turner's truck and emptied his bank account before fleeing to Augusta, Georgia, where he was eventually apprehended. Prior to killing Turner, Stanko had assaulted and strangled his girlfriend and raped her daughter, who survived and testified against him. Stanko admitted to the killings but his defense argued that he suffered from brain issues that led to aggression and lack of empathy. They contended that he should either be found not guilty by reason of insanity or spared the death penalty due to his mental illness. Stanko's appeals may raise concerns similar to those brought up by the lawyers of Mikal Mahdi, who was executed by firing squad and reportedly endured prolonged suffering before death. Stanko's impending execution will mark the sixth in South Carolina since the resumption of executions in 2024. The state had faced challenges in obtaining lethal injection drugs until a shield law was passed to keep execution procedures and personnel confidential. While three inmates have been executed by lethal injection in the past eight months, two have opted for the firing squad. Across the U.S., there have been 16 executions in 2025, with more scheduled before Stanko's scheduled execution date.]]