South Carolina Man Executed for Double Murder
A man who was found guilty of two murders was executed in South Carolina via lethal injection. Stephen Stanko, 57, was declared dead at 6:34 p.m. on June 13, following his death sentence for crimes committed in April 2005.
Court documents reveal that on April 8, 2005, Stanko killed his girlfriend, Laura Ling, in front of her young daughter in their home in Murrells Inlet. Reports indicate he bound, beat, and strangled Laura, also assaulting her daughter.
Afterward, Stanko traveled to the home of a 74-year-old friend, Henry Lee Turner, where he shot and killed Turner and stole his car. He was apprehended several days later in Georgia.
In 2006, Stanko was convicted in Georgetown County for the first-degree murder of Laura and also faced charges of kidnapping and armed robbery. In 2009, he was found guilty of murder and armed robbery related to Turner’s death. He received the death penalty for both cases.
Before his execution, Stanko’s attorney read his final statement, in which he expressed sorrow for the pain caused to the victims’ families. He acknowledged that his words could not change the past but hoped they might offer some comfort.
Stanko reflected on his life, mentioning that he had once been an honor student and athlete who volunteered in the community. He emphasized that he was more than his crimes, stating, “I am judged solely for one day of my life.”
During the execution, Stanko was administered two doses of a sedative. Witnesses noted that he seemed to speak softly before taking quick breaths and then passing away about 28 minutes after the process started.
This execution marked South Carolina’s sixth in nine months. Stanko had previously considered requesting execution by firing squad but opted for lethal injection due to concerns about potential suffering during that method. For his last meal, he requested a variety of foods, including fried fish and cherry pie.
