Sigmon, 67, had been convicted for the 2001 brutal murders of David and Gladys Larke with a baseball bat and for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, during which she narrowly escaped his violent embrace. His request for execution by firing squad marked a rare return to this controversial method; since 1977, only three others had been executed this way, all in Utah.
At the time of his execution, Sigmon expressed love and remorse in his final words, quoting the Bible in his critique of the death penalty. His execution comprised three armed volunteers firing at a target placed on his chest from a distance of 15 feet, all occurring without any countdown or anticipation to minimize distress among witnesses. Sigmon wore a black jumpsuit and was restrained in a chair designed to capture blood, while witnesses were beneficially offered earplugs to muffle the shots’ sound.
Despite appeals for a last-minute intervention from his lawyer, who cited Sigmon's mental health struggles and his alleged rehabilitation during incarceration, the execution proceeded as planned. Outside the prison, there were protests against the death penalty with demonstrators advocating for the sanctity of life.
This execution has reignited discourse around capital punishment methods. The firearms used were specifically designed to inflict lethal damage, and the secrecy surrounding the identities of execution team members in South Carolina poses further ethical and legal questions about transparency in state-sponsored executions.
At the time of his execution, Sigmon expressed love and remorse in his final words, quoting the Bible in his critique of the death penalty. His execution comprised three armed volunteers firing at a target placed on his chest from a distance of 15 feet, all occurring without any countdown or anticipation to minimize distress among witnesses. Sigmon wore a black jumpsuit and was restrained in a chair designed to capture blood, while witnesses were beneficially offered earplugs to muffle the shots’ sound.
Despite appeals for a last-minute intervention from his lawyer, who cited Sigmon's mental health struggles and his alleged rehabilitation during incarceration, the execution proceeded as planned. Outside the prison, there were protests against the death penalty with demonstrators advocating for the sanctity of life.
This execution has reignited discourse around capital punishment methods. The firearms used were specifically designed to inflict lethal damage, and the secrecy surrounding the identities of execution team members in South Carolina poses further ethical and legal questions about transparency in state-sponsored executions.
