Marion Bowman Jr. is a grandfather, a poet, and currently on death row.

Corrections officials in South Carolina are preparing to execute Bowman via lethal injection on Friday for the murder of 21-year-old Kandee Martin, which occurred on February 16, 2001. While Bowman acknowledges that he sold drugs to Martin, he firmly denies killing her, asserting that the authorities have convicted the wrong individual.

“I deeply regret what happened to Kandee and her family, but I am innocent,” Bowman recently stated in a message shared online. “Her family has faced a tragedy that can’t be reversed. They have endured a series of trials and appeals, but I have never shared the truth. I know this won’t ease their pain, but it’s important to express my truth.”

“I simply want to avoid being executed or enduring a life sentence for a crime I did not commit,” the 44-year-old said.

Unless there is intervention from Republican Governor Henry McMaster or the U.S. Supreme Court, Bowman will be the first inmate executed in the U.S. in 2025. Additionally, four more inmates are scheduled for execution before February 13.

As the countdown to his execution continues, YSL News examines the details surrounding the crime, the factors that led Bowman to death row, and the legal arguments his attorneys are making to halt the execution.

What was Marion Bowman convicted of?

Bowman was found guilty by a jury of murdering Kandee Martin, a young mother whom he described as a longtime friend, occasional sexual partner, and customer. Prosecutors contended that Martin owed Bowman money for crack cocaine and presented numerous witnesses who claimed to have heard him threaten her life.

On February 17, 2001, Martin’s body was discovered. She had been fatally shot once in the chest and once in the head on a secluded country road. The killer concealed her body in the trunk of her vehicle and subsequently set it ablaze, according to court records.

On the day of her death, Bowman, then 20 years old, claimed he sold Martin drugs multiple times and that afterward, she was “buying on credit.” He stated they had an intimate encounter and that he later saw her leaving in her car with his cousin, who was also a drug dealer.

Bowman’s cousin became the key witness against him in the murder trial after striking a plea deal with prosecutors for a lighter sentence. Bowman contends that jurors were never informed that his cousin confessed to a cellmate about killing Martin and that relevant evidence pointing to his cousin and another individual’s involvement was overlooked by the prosecutors.

“I regret some decisions I made in my life,” Bowman expressed. “I regret my association with Kandee and recognize that her addiction might have contributed to her demise. However, I did not commit this crime.”

The family of Martin has dismissed Bowman’s claims of innocence. Speaking for the family, Kandee Martin’s sister-in-law, Lisa Martin, conveyed to YSL News that they have no doubt regarding Bowman’s guilt and are “anxiously awaiting” his execution.

“We have no belief in any of his narratives,” she remarked, expressing the family’s frustration with Bowman’s attempts to shift blame. “What remains of Kandee lies in a grave, so how dare he claim to feel sorry for himself?”

Who is Marion Bowman?

Bowman was raised in a rural area of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, situated between Charleston and Columbia.

His father was mostly absent, and his mother faced health challenges during his teenage years, forcing him into a caretaker role, as described by his attorney, Lindsey Vann. “From a young age, he was incredibly loyal, which unfortunately led him into the local drug scene,” she stated.

“My family struggled financially, but we managed,” Bowman shared in an online testimony. “I didn’t finish high school and held various manual labor jobs but always struggled to support myself.”

Consequently, he resorted to selling crack cocaine, initially to provide for his mother and sister, and later for his wife and stepchildren, according to Vann.

After being incarcerated, Bowman’s wife gave birth to their daughter, who has since become a mother herself, making Bowman a grandfather. He now has three step-grandchildren whom he considers part of his family. Despite his situation, he reports a strong familial bond.

Vann noted that Bowman has shown personal growth while in prison, developing a profound faith in God and embracing writing. He composed a poem titled “While I Breathe I Hope,” which reflects on perseverance: “Doors keep closing, slamming with a heavy bang. With my hope lost, should I cease to breathe? As long as I breathe, there is hope.”

Bowman’s lawyers raise concerns over execution drug, racial bias

Bowman’s legal team is highlighting a “veil of secrecy” regarding pentobarbital, the drug intended for his execution.

In an attempt to prevent the execution, Vann pointed out in recent court documents that the state has infringed on Bowman’s rights by failing to disclose fundamental information about the drug, including its expiration date and storage conditions. She also expressed doubts about the drug’s purity and quality, referencing a troubling incident where South Carolina inmate Richard Moore received a second dose 11 minutes into his execution in November.

The state, in court documents, claimed that Bowman had the option to select a firing squad or electric chair for his execution, but he chose lethal injection instead for Martin’s “gruesome murder.” A judge rejected Vann’s petition this week.

Vann stated that Bowman’s decision for lethal injection was based on concerns that the firing squad and electric chair methods are “inhumane and unconstitutional.” If he had not chosen among the three options, lethal injection would have been the default method.

Bowman has also contended that he was denied a fair trial, partially due to racial discrimination.

He recounted that his first public defender’s initial question was whether he wanted to plead guilty, to which he responded, “Absolutely not! I didn’t kill anyone!” After five months, he was assigned a new attorney who advised him, “Son, you should plead guilty. You’re charged with killing a white girl and you’re Black. (The prosecutor) will be all over this.”

Bowman claims that the prosecutor pressed him 13 times to accept a plea deal, which he consistently rejected, along with the suggestions from his defense lawyers to do so.

“I refuse to be sentenced for a crime I didn’t commit,” he affirmed. “All I’ve ever wanted is a fair trial with a lawyer ready to hear my side.”