A South Carolina man, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents, has become the first death row inmate in the U.S. to be executed by firing squad in 15 years.
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Three volunteer prison employees used rifles to execute Brad Sigmon, 67, who was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. on March 7, per the BBC.
In 2001, Sigmon was convicted of murdering David and Gladys Larke with a baseball bat. Following the killings, he kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, though she managed to escape while he fired shots at her.
Sigmon opted for execution by firing squad, choosing it over the state’s two other approved methods of the electric chair and lethal injection.
Three members of the Larke family, along with Sigmon’s spiritual adviser, were present to witness his death, per the BBC. Witnesses described Sigmon being secured to a chair equipped with a basin beneath it to collect blood.
In his last words, Sigmon said he was “calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty. An eye for an eye was used as justification to the jury for seeking the death penalty,” he continued.
“At that time, I was too ignorant to know how wrong that was. Why? Because we no longer live under the Old Testament law but now live under the New Testament,” he concluded.
After delivering his final statement, a hood was placed over his head. Moments later, a curtain drew back, revealing three volunteers. Without any countdown, the trio fired from a distance of 15 feet.
An Eyewitness Gives Their Account of South Carolina Inmate Executed by Firing Squad
Jeffrey Collins, a reporter for the Associated Press, described how a red bullseye target was placed over Sigmon’s heart. Upon being shot, Sigmon’s chest visibly rose and fell several times, Collins reported.
A doctor conducted a brief examination lasting roughly 90 seconds before pronouncing him dead.
In South Carolina, witnesses are permitted to observe executions through bulletproof glass, ensuring a clear but protected view. However, the executioners remain concealed, their identities shielded to maintain anonymity. A 2023 state law solidified this practice, mandating that the identities of execution team members remain confidential.
Counseling services are available for any prison staff affected by the execution, according to Chrysti Shain from the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Attorney Says Brad Sigmon Was Rehabilitated
Sigmon’s attorney, Bo King, had been seeking a last-minute reprieve from the South Carolina governor. He accused the state of withholding critical details about the lethal injection process.
“Brad only wanted assurances that these drugs were not expired, diluted, or spoiled. What any of us would want to know about the medication we take, or the food we eat, much less the means of our death,” King explained in a statement following the execution.
“It is unfathomable that, in 2025, South Carolina would execute one of its citizens in this bloody spectacle,” King added.
King said his client had struggled with mental illness but highlighted the relationships he built in prison as proof of his rehabilitation.
“Brad is someone who, for his last meal, asked to get three buckets of original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken so he could share with the guys that he’s incarcerated with on death row,” King told a local outlet, per the BBC.
“With his last meal, he wanted to share something special with them,” he added.
Officials later revealed that his final meal consisted of four pieces of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea.