South Carolina is poised to execute Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old inmate, by firing squad on March 7, 2025. This event marks the first use of this execution method in the United States in 15 years.
Sigmon was convicted in 2002 for the brutal murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, David and Gladys Larke, in Greenville County. According to court records, Sigmon bludgeoned the couple to death with a baseball bat after his relationship with their daughter ended.
Initially sentenced to death by lethal injection, Sigmon’s execution faced delays due to challenges in obtaining the necessary drugs. In response, South Carolina amended its capital punishment laws in 2021 to include firing squads as an alternative method. Sigmon chose this option over electrocution, expressing concerns about potential suffering associated with other methods.
The planned execution has reignited debates over the humanity and ethics of various execution methods. Advocates argue that firing squads may offer a quicker and less painful death compared to other methods. However, opponents contend that all forms of capital punishment are inhumane and call for their abolition.
South Carolina’s Department of Corrections has completed renovations to its death chamber to accommodate firing squad executions. The setup involves the inmate being strapped to a chair, hooded, and shot by three volunteer shooters.
This execution would make Sigmon the oldest person executed in South Carolina since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976.
Source Links:
- The US is killing someone by firing squad for the 1st time in 15 years
- South Carolina double killer to die by firing squad in first execution of its kind in 15 years
- South Carolina Supreme Court rejects man’s final appeal, clearing way for firing squad execution
