June 10, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court has set a June 20 execution date for a man who murdered his ex-girlfriend's parents in Charleston County.

James Earl Reed acted as his own lawyer during his 1996 trial. He denied the killings, despite his confession to police and three witnesses who said they saw him come out of the couple's home after the shooting.

After his initial appeal, Reed wrote to Chief Justice Jean Toal that he wanted to waive further appeals and have an execution date set.

Last year, the state's high court ruled that Reed could not drop those appeals or continue to represent himself on appeal.

Prosecutors said Reed killed Joseph and Barbara Lafayette in their Adams Run home in 1994 while he was looking for his ex-girlfriend.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)