A Statement on the Execution of Stephen Stanko

A Statement on the Execution of Stephen Stanko

On June 13, 2025, the state of South Carolina executed Stephen Stanko for the murders of Laura Ling and Henry Turner. Stephen’s execution by lethal injection is the sixth execution by South Carolina in less than a year. He is the fourth person to be executed in the United States this week.

A Statement from Executive Director, Rev. Hillary Taylor:

"On Friday, the State of South Carolina executed Stephen Stanko in the name of all its citizens. Nothing can justify or excuse the harm Stephen enacted towards Laura Ling, her daughter, and Henry Turner. We pray for their peace, their comfort, and their support beyond today. None of this should have happened to them.

While we must never forget the victims harmed in this case, we must also never forget Stephen’s humanity. Stephen is not the sum of the worst things he’s ever done. What the news did not cover was the way he was a supportive brother and extended family member while he was incarcerated on Death Row. Our media did not share the way he provided care and stability to his fellow brothers on the Row itself. They did not know that he had become a devout Catholic Christian and encouraged others on their own faith journeys. They did not discuss how he wanted to humanize death row by collaborating with scholars to abolish this system. They did not discuss that he was an incredible penpal who wrote long, thoughtful letters full of compassion and regard. 

As long as the death penalty exists, it will be an ablest system and will disproportionately affect people with traumatic brain injuries. The fact that Stephen has been diagnosed with significant brain damage is indicative that he never should have been tried for the death penalty in the first place."

The mission of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (SCADP) is to abolish the death penalty and catalyze criminal justice reform in South Carolina.