Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old inmate in South Carolina, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Friday at 6:00 PM local time (23:00 GMT).
This marks the first use of this execution method in the United States in 15 years.
In 2001, Sigmon was convicted for the brutal murders of David and Gladys Larke, the parents of his ex-girlfriend, whom he attacked with a baseball bat.
Following the killings, he kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, though she later managed to escape.
Facing the options of lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad, Sigmon chose the latter, expressing concerns about the potential pain associated with the other methods.
Recent issues with drug shortages and botched lethal injections have led officials to reconsider firing squads as an execution method.
The execution procedure involves strapping Sigmon to a chair, placing a target over his heart, and covering his head with a hood. Three executioners, concealed behind a curtain and positioned 15 feet away, will simultaneously fire rifles aimed at the target.
ALSO READ: South Africa’s Informal Economy: A Key Driver of Growth and Job Creation
This execution will be the first by firing squad outside of Utah since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. Nationally, only three people have been executed by firing squad since then, all in Utah.
Sigmon’s final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging South Carolina’s lethal injection protocol on due-process grounds, was unsuccessful.
The use of firing squads has been a topic of debate, with some experts arguing that they are more reliable and less error-prone, ensuring a quicker death compared to other methods.
South Carolina’s adoption of the firing squad as an execution method stems from difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs and concerns about the inhumane nature of alternative methods.
Witnesses to the execution will include Sigmon’s lawyer, the victims’ family members, and media representatives. The executioners’ identities will remain confidential, as they will be concealed from view during the procedure.
This execution underscores the ongoing challenges and debates surrounding capital punishment methods in the United States.
