Bixby Lawyers Seek Delay of Death Warrant
Attorneys for a South Carolina death row inmate ask that a warrant not be issued until after the holidays.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Law
Stephen Bixby, a death row inmate in South Carolina sentenced for the murder of two Abbeville County officers, has had his legal team request that a death warrant not be issued until after the holiday season. The South Carolina Supreme Court denied one of the final requests from Bixby's attorneys, which sought to allow a challenge to his competency.
Why it matters
The request mirrors a delay granted in November 2024 for another South Carolina death row inmate, whose execution was postponed until the following January. How the state handles competency challenges and warrant timing will shape the pace of remaining capital cases.
Bixby is a death row inmate whose execution is pending, and the South Carolina Supreme Court has denied one of his final requests to challenge his competency. The state has not yet set a date, and the timing of any death warrant remains unresolved.
The players
Stephen Bixby
Bixby is a South Carolina death row inmate sentenced to death for the murder of two Abbeville County officers, whose case has drawn repeated legal challenges.
South Carolina Supreme Court
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the state's highest court, which reviews capital cases and rules on final appeals and competency requests.
The details
Bixby's legal team asked that no death warrant be issued until the holiday season is over. The South Carolina Supreme Court denied a request that would have allowed Bixby's competency to be challenged, leaving the delay request as the latest point of contention in his case.
Timeline
20 years ago: Two Abbeville County officers were murdered, leading to Bixby's death sentence.
November 2024: A similar delay request was granted for another death row inmate.
January of the following year: That other inmate's postponed execution date.
This week: The South Carolina Supreme Court denied the competency-challenge request in Bixby's case.
Until after the holiday season: The period Bixby's attorneys asked the court to wait before issuing a death warrant.
Legal Context
Bixby's request follows the same procedural pattern as the November 2024 delay granted to another South Carolina death row inmate, whose execution was pushed to the following January. The competing outcomes in these two cases show how the state Supreme Court is handling warrant timing for inmates still in the appeals process.
For residents of South Carolina, the timing of executions and court rulings in capital cases determines when these cases close and how the state's death penalty process operates. The outcome of Bixby's request will indicate whether the courts keep scheduling warrants on their current timeline.
The takeaway
Capital case timing is shaped by competency challenges and holiday-season delay requests, which can push executions back by months. Readers following South Carolina's death penalty process should watch how the Supreme Court handles similar requests.
Further reading
For more on the state's capital case procedures, see Law coverage of South Carolina courts.
