7

Marion Bowman Jr. was executed by lethal injection on Friday, marking the first U.S. execution of the year. He was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. after spending years on Death Row for the 2001 murder of 21-year-old Kandee Martin. Martin, a young mother, was killed just five days before her son’s second birthday. Police discovered her bullet-ridden body in the trunk of her burned car.

Bowman maintained his innocence throughout his time on Death Row. He admitted to selling crack cocaine to Martin, whom he described as a longtime friend and occasional sexual partner, but denied involvement in her murder.

“I did not kill Kandee Martin. I’m innocent of the crimes I’m here to die for,” Bowman said in his final statement. However, he expressed empathy for Martin’s grieving family. “If my death brings them relief and helps them focus on good memories, then I hope it serves a purpose,” he added.

Martin’s family, however, sought closure through the execution. “He had 24 years to find God and tie up loose ends,” said a family member. “We never got that opportunity. Kandee’s life ended in a coffin.”

Bowman’s Final Words and Conviction Details

In his final words, Bowman criticized the death penalty system and society’s perception of Death Row inmates. He described how inmates are seen as “the worst of the worst” but argued that many had changed over time. “If the world saw us in our day-to-day lives, their view of the death penalty would be different,” Bowman stated. He urged the public to look beyond state-imposed labels, saying, “We are not what the State says we are. We are kind, caring, and loving people.”

Bowman’s last meal included fried shrimp, fish, oysters, chicken wings, onion rings, banana pudding, and German chocolate cake. He drank pineapple and cranberry juices.

Bowman was convicted of murdering Martin after witnesses testified that he threatened to kill her over unpaid drug debts. On February 17, 2001, police found Martin’s body with gunshot wounds to her head and chest. Her killer placed her in the trunk of her car and set it on fire. Bowman claimed that he last saw Martin driving away with his cousin, who later testified against him in a plea deal.

Bowman and his defense team argued that key evidence was ignored. They claimed that his cousin had confessed to the murder in jail and that another man might have been involved. “I regret my role in dealing drugs to Kandee,” Bowman admitted, “but I did not kill her.”

Kandee Martin’s Life and the Execution Method

Kandee Martin grew up in the small town of Branchville, South Carolina, where career opportunities were scarce. She dreamed of moving to Charleston and building a better life. However, before she could leave Branchville, she became a mother. “She went from being a single girl to a devoted mom. That was the coolest thing ever to her,” said a family member.

Bowman was executed by a lethal injection of pentobarbital. His legal team raised concerns about the drug’s quality and storage. They cited previous execution complications in South Carolina and described the process as shrouded in secrecy. The state countered that Bowman could have chosen the electric chair or firing squad but opted for lethal injection. His attorney Lindsey Vann explained that Bowman rejected the other options as “barbaric and unconstitutional.”

Bowman’s early life was shaped by poverty and hardship in rural Orangeburg County. With an absent father and an ill mother, Bowman became the head of his household as a teenager. He left high school and worked various manual labor jobs but struggled to support his family. Eventually, he turned to selling drugs. While imprisoned, Bowman grew spiritually, developed a strong faith, and became a poet. He even wrote a final poem released after his death, titled Last Breath or Sigh, which reflected on his life and faith. One line reads, “Let there be no mistaking—I’ve felt love with every breath I’ve taken.”

Despite his circumstances, Bowman remained close to his family. His wife gave birth to their daughter after his incarceration, and Bowman became a grandfather before his execution. “Know that I’m in God’s grasp,” he wrote. “It’s in His bosom I’ll rest.”