JUST IN: Stephen Stanko Executed — Last Words, Final Meal & Crimes | U.S. Death Row

This man was just executed by lethal injection in the United States. On June 13th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., Stephen Stanko met his end at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. He was 57 years old and had been convicted of a brutal double murder. In this video, we’ll take you deep into the dark transformation of a man once seen as a model citizen who became one of the most feared criminals in the state.

We’ll uncover how his descent into violence began, the details of his crimes, the trial that sealed his fate, his last meal, final words, and the chilling moments of his execution.

Born on January 13th, 1968, at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Stephen Stanko already had a criminal record long before being sentenced for the crimes that would send him to death row. In 1996, he was convicted of assault and kidnapping, serving 8 and 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence. During that time, he co-wrote a book with another inmate titled Living in Prison: A Story of the Penal System from Within. Those who knew him then described him as an intelligent, educated man who was always willing to talk about his life behind bars and the book he had written.

In 2004, he was released and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he rented a room. His parole officer verified that the landlord was informed about his past, which Stanko himself had disclosed when applying to rent. He lived there for nearly a year without major issues, except for some delays in paying rent. He often complained about the difficulties of finding a job due to his criminal record.

Eventually, he moved to a friend’s house in exchange for caring for the friend’s elderly mother. Stanko began frequenting the local library, claiming he was researching a second book. During that time, he developed a romantic relationship with the librarian, Laura Ling, and ended up moving in with her and her daughter. He also formed an apparent friendship with another regular library user, Henry Turner.

In the early hours in the coastal town of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, authorities reported that Stephen Stanko took the life of his partner, Laura Ling, and severely harmed her 15-year-old daughter, Christina Ling, who also lived in the house. Against all odds, the teenager survived and later testified against him.

That same day, Stanko drove north to the city of Conway, where he took the life of Henry Lee Turner, a 74-year-old retired U.S. Air Force veteran. Reports indicate that Stanko gained entry by lying about a family emergency. He then took Turner’s vehicle, emptied his bank account, and fled the state.

In the following days, Stanko hid in Augusta, Georgia, where he claimed to be a successful businessman and owner of several restaurants. However, his luck ran out on April 12th when a woman who had given him a ride to church recognized him from a photo on the news and alerted authorities. He was arrested without resistance by the United States Marshals after a nationwide manhunt.

Stanko was tried separately for both cases: the first in 2006 and the second in 2009. His defense argued he had a congenital brain condition worsened by a teenage injury which caused a personality disorder, but the prosecution disagreed. During closing arguments, prosecutor Greg Hembree described him as someone who, in his words, is “simply evil. There is something inside him that drives him to do harm. He knows it and he likes it.”

He was sentenced to death in both trials. His final appeal was rejected by the United States Supreme Court in May 2025, clearing the way for his execution.

According to South Carolina law, inmates can choose between the electric chair, firing squad, or lethal injection. Initially, Stanko considered the firing squad, a recently reinstated option in the state. However, medical reports from previous executions led him to change his mind. One report noted that an inmate executed by firing squad did not lose consciousness immediately and that the shots missed vital organs, prolonging the process.

Concerned about the possibility of suffering, Stanko chose lethal injection. His lawyers tried to halt the execution with a last-minute appeal, arguing the method caused unnecessary suffering. However, a federal judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to delay the procedure. There was no intervention from the state governor either. Since South Carolina reinstated the death penalty about 50 years ago, no governor has granted clemency in an execution.

Stephen Stanko’s execution took place on Friday, June 13th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. He was led to the execution chamber and strapped to a gurney. An intravenous line was placed before witnesses entered the room. He received a dose of the sedative pentobarbital. According to records of previous executions in the state, loss of consciousness usually occurs in under two minutes, and the procedure is considered quick and silent.

For his last meal on death row, Stephen Stanko was given a $20 allowance to order anything he wanted. He requested ice cream and a hamburger.

Shortly before his execution by lethal injection, Stanko delivered a final statement lasting 3 and 1/2 minutes. In it, he apologized to the families of his victims and asked not to be judged solely by the worst day of his life. He had written the statement in advance and read it aloud in the execution chamber.

According to official reports, the execution began moments after he finished his statement, in which he expressed deep remorse and urged people not to define him by a single tragic event. Once he concluded, prison staff administered the first dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital.

Part of his final words were: “I am truly sorry for the pain and loss that I caused in this horrible situation.” Stanko wrote, “Sorry is never enough, but that does not mean it should not be said.”

Outside the prison, anti-death penalty protesters gathered. Meanwhile, a son of Henry Lee Turner, one of the victims, said he could finally feel at peace. Justice had been served, though it had taken far too long.