Brad Sigmon, convicted for horrifically killing his ex-girlfriend's parents, became the first U.S. inmate executed by firing squad in 15 years on Friday evening. Sigmon was pronounced dead shortly after 6:00 PM local time in South Carolina, where he requested this form of execution—a preference for firing squad over lethal injection or electric chair.
First U.S. Execution by Firing Squad in 15 Years: A Double Murderer Meets His Fate
First U.S. Execution by Firing Squad in 15 Years: A Double Murderer Meets His Fate
A South Carolina man, Brad Sigmon, faces execution by firing squad after 15 years of no such execution in the United States, casting light on an old method of capital punishment.
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.
