A South Carolina inmate convicted of killing a state trooper greater than 25 years in the past can’t be executed resulting from a psychological sickness that has him believing he’s immortal, a decide dominated.
John Richard Wooden, 59, lacks the flexibility to rationally talk together with his attorneys and doesn’t have a rational and factual understanding of his crimes, why he’s being punished or the character of his punishment, Choose Grace Knie discovered, primarily based on the opinions of three psychological well being consultants, in accordance with WSPA and the South Carolina Day by day Gazette.
A psychiatrist with the prosecution in addition to a psychiatrist and a psychologist with Wooden’s authorized staff all agreed that he failed this two-pronged authorized normal for competence to be executed.
With this ruling, the decide upheld his attorneys’ declare that the debilitating results of his schizophrenia forestall him from dealing with the loss of life penalty right now.
Knie’s ruling have to be reviewed by the state Supreme Courtroom, which might decide whether or not to uphold or overturn her resolution.
The decide mentioned Wooden believes that he’s immortal, has already died thrice on loss of life row and might be resurrected once more if the state executes him, citing the psychological well being consultants’ testimony throughout a listening to in March, the South Carolina Day by day Gazette reported.
Wooden additionally believes he has already acquired a pardon from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
The consultants have mentioned that whereas Wooden understands why he acquired the loss of life sentence, he mistakenly believes regulation enforcement officers have been “attempting to border him for a brutal rape.”
Moreover, Wooden believes the decide at his 2002 trial and courtroom personnel have been working towards him as a result of they have been brokers of “Beloved Kevin Rudolph,” a deity that he thinks is a part of a battle to rule the planet, in accordance with the South Carolina Day by day Gazette.
Wooden additionally believes he was given wings and immortality to win this struggle.
He is the primary inmate on loss of life row in South Carolina discovered to be not competent to be put to loss of life because the state restarted executions in September 2024 after a 13-year pause as a result of the state was struggling to acquire deadly injection medicine.
The state added the firing squad as an execution methodology throughout that hiatus.
Seven executions have been carried out within the state since capital punishment was resumed, together with three males who selected to die by firing squad.
Wooden was convicted of killing South Carolina State Trooper Eric Nicholson in December 2000 throughout a site visitors cease in Greenville County.
Wooden shot Nicholson 5 instances throughout the site visitors cease, in accordance with authorities.
Throughout a subsequent pursuit, he shot at police and hit one officer within the face with a bullet fragment. Wooden was finally taken into custody after he hijacked a truck.
He was sentenced to loss of life in February 2002.
He was amongst loss of life row inmates in line to obtain a loss of life warrant after exhausting common appeals.
Whereas his loss of life warrant is paused, Wooden’s authentic conviction and sentence nonetheless stand.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the South Carolina Division of Corrections and Knie’s workplace for remark.
