Inmate Set To Die Friday Asks Governor For Mercy Tuesday April 13, 2004 5:41pm Should the US stick to the June 30 deadline for transfer of power in Iraq?  Yes  No ___  ABC News 4 Interact  ___    • Signup for eNews Alerts    • ABC News 4 Pulse Poll    • Whats Your Opinion?    • Printable Version    • E-Mail This Story Columbia, SC (AP) - An inmate scheduled to die Friday by lethal injection for killing an Aiken County convenience store clerk has asked the governor to spare his life. Lawyers for Jerry McWee say his death sentence should be commuted to life without parole because they say his co-defendant struck a plea bargain that may have kept him from the death chamber. A spokesman for Governor Mark Sanford (website - news) says he is reviewing the petition. McWee faces an uphill fight. No South Carolina governor has reduced a death sentence to life in prison since the death penalty was reinstated nearly 30 years ago. The 51-year-old former police officer will be the 30th inmate sent to the death chamber during that time. McWee also has an appeal before the US Supreme Court, saying the jury in his trial should have known he would have been 71 years old before he became eligible for parole. » Find More Articles Related To This One Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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