Shawn Paul Humphries
Encyclopedia
Shawn Paul Humphries was a murderer executed by the U.S. state
of South Carolina
. He was convicted of the January 1, 1994 murder of Dickie Smith in Fountain Inn, South Carolina
. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. EST on December 2, 2005 by lethal injection
at the Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville
.
, drugs
, and paint fumes
when he was between the ages of six and ten. Humphries' aunt said that his father had said on several occasions that he did not love his children and wished that they had been aborted
. Humphries had only been conceived after his mother had been rape
d at knife-point by her estranged husband.
He lived with his brother and grandparents from the time he was three until the age of twelve. His grandfather, testified that both he and his wife were heavy drinkers
and that she grew marijuana
in their backyard. Only when their mother re-married did the boys return to live with her.
Prior to the murders, he had a criminal record
. Humphries was arrested in 1984 for two counts of breaking and entering
and was placed on probation
. He received more probation after being suspended from school for fighting on several occasions. At fifteen he was sent to a state facility in Columbia
for thirty days. In January 1989 he was arrested after breaking into a church while looking for food, as he was homeless
at the time. His first jail term was in Alabama
from stealing a car. He received two years in prison followed by four years of probation.
.
His conviction and sentence were affirmed by the South Carolina Supreme Court
. After this he filed various petition for a writ of certiorari
and habeas corpus
including the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. All were denied.
His appeals lawyers say that the trial had serious problems. During his closing statement, the prosecutor compared the lives of Smith and Humphries during a year, suggesting, in the words of Judge Wilkinson
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
, that "his life is of less worth than that of someone else." The prosecutor stated that it was "profane to give this man a gift of life under these circumstances." Wilkinson wrote in his dissenting opinion that the fact that Humphries's lawyer did not object to these statements is the hallmark of ineffective counsel.
decision in 1976.
His final statement was read before the execution by his lawyer. The one-and-a-half-page handwritten statement said in part:
He also mouthed the words "I'm sorry" while looking at Kathy Carpenter, one of Smith's sisters. After the execution, she described those words as the "greatest gift that I could have ever received".
His last meal consisted of a McDonald's
hamburger
, french fries
, broccoli
and cheese
, and oat cereal.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He was convicted of the January 1, 1994 murder of Dickie Smith in Fountain Inn, South Carolina
Fountain Inn, South Carolina
Fountain Inn is a city in Greenville and Laurens counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 6,017 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. EST on December 2, 2005 by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
at the Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville
Ridgeville, South Carolina
Ridgeville is a town in Dorchester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,690 at the 2000 census. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S...
.
Youth
His father was extremely abusive towards Humphries and introduced him to alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, drugs
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, and paint fumes
Inhalant
Inhalants are a broad range of drugs whose volatile vapors are taken in via the nose and trachea. They are taken by volatilization, and do not include drugs that are inhaled after burning or heating...
when he was between the ages of six and ten. Humphries' aunt said that his father had said on several occasions that he did not love his children and wished that they had been aborted
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Humphries had only been conceived after his mother had been rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d at knife-point by her estranged husband.
He lived with his brother and grandparents from the time he was three until the age of twelve. His grandfather, testified that both he and his wife were heavy drinkers
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and that she grew marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
in their backyard. Only when their mother re-married did the boys return to live with her.
Prior to the murders, he had a criminal record
Criminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
. Humphries was arrested in 1984 for two counts of breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and was placed on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. He received more probation after being suspended from school for fighting on several occasions. At fifteen he was sent to a state facility in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
for thirty days. In January 1989 he was arrested after breaking into a church while looking for food, as he was homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
at the time. His first jail term was in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
from stealing a car. He received two years in prison followed by four years of probation.
Attempted robbery and murder
Humphries and his friend Eddie Blackwell had been driving around drinking beer on the night of January 1, 1994 and decided to rob the Max-Saver convenience store. When they entered the shop around 7 a.m., Dickie Smith asked the two men if they would like something hot. Humphries reportedly flashed his stolen gun at the owner, and demanded money. Smith then reached under the counter and Humphries fired one shot that hit Smith in the head. Fleeing the scene, Humphries left Blackwell in the shop, where he was arrested by police. Humphries was apprehended a short time later. Humphries said that he panicked when he saw Smith reach behind the counter and that he was not a cold-blooded killer.Trial and appeals
He was convicted on August 5, 1994 of murder, attempted robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and criminal conspiracy. For the murder he received a death sentence, and concurrent sentences of twenty years for the robbery and five years for criminal conspiracy. For his part in the crime Edward Blackwell received life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
His conviction and sentence were affirmed by the South Carolina Supreme Court
South Carolina Supreme Court
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.-Selection of Justices:...
. After this he filed various petition for a writ of certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
and habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
including the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. All were denied.
His appeals lawyers say that the trial had serious problems. During his closing statement, the prosecutor compared the lives of Smith and Humphries during a year, suggesting, in the words of Judge Wilkinson
James Harvie Wilkinson III
James Harvie Wilkinson III is a federal judge serving on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. His name has been raised at several junctures in the past as a possible nominee to the United States Supreme Court.-Early life and career:...
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
, that "his life is of less worth than that of someone else." The prosecutor stated that it was "profane to give this man a gift of life under these circumstances." Wilkinson wrote in his dissenting opinion that the fact that Humphries's lawyer did not object to these statements is the hallmark of ineffective counsel.
Execution
He was executed on December 2, 2005 by lethal injection, in the 1001st execution since the Gregg v. GeorgiaGregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia, Proffitt v. Florida, Jurek v. Texas, Woodson v. North Carolina, and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 153 , reaffirmed the United States Supreme Court's acceptance of the use of the death penalty in the United States, upholding, in particular, the death sentence imposed on Troy Leon...
decision in 1976.
His final statement was read before the execution by his lawyer. The one-and-a-half-page handwritten statement said in part:
- "[…]I hope that my execution brings the Smith family some peace. But now I want to say something to everyone who supports this or any execution. We are all sinners, so what gives you the right as a sinner to take away a gift that God gave.[…]"
He also mouthed the words "I'm sorry" while looking at Kathy Carpenter, one of Smith's sisters. After the execution, she described those words as the "greatest gift that I could have ever received".
His last meal consisted of a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
, french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, and oat cereal.
See also
- List of individuals executed in South Carolina
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...