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A man from South Carolina has made history as the first death row inmate in the United States to be executed by firing squad in the past 15 years. The execution of Brad Sigmon was carried out on Friday evening, marking a significant moment in the ongoing debate around capital punishment.
Sixty-seven-year-old Sigmon was convicted of the brutal murders of David and Gladys Larke in 2001, where he used a baseball bat. Following the murder, he attempted to kidnap his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, but she managed to escape despite him firing shots at her.
Sigmon had chosen the firing squad as his method of execution, opting for it over other available options such as lethal injection and the electric chair. According to Chrysti Shain from the South Carolina Department of Corrections, he was declared dead at 18:08 local time, shortly after the execution began.
Witnesses to the execution included three members of the Larke family and Sigmon’s spiritual adviser. Sigmon was secured in a chair designed to collect blood, and witnesses reported that he made a final statement expressing love and remorse, referencing biblical passages to argue against the death penalty.
The execution proceeded without a countdown, with three volunteers, positioned 15 feet away, firing upon his chest, which had a target marked with a bullseye. A journalist present reported that Sigmon’s body reacted after the shots were fired, and a brief medical examination confirmed his death shortly thereafter.
The ammunition used in the execution was specifically designed to maximize damage upon impact. There are ongoing discussions among medical professionals regarding the potential pain inflicted by such rounds. Witness accounts detailed that Sigmon wore a black jumpsuit during the execution but had exposed arms, which appeared to flex at the moment of being shot.
The execution was shrouded in some precautions, including the provision of earplugs to witnesses to mitigate the sound of gunfire. Following the event, counseling services were made available for any prison staff who might have experienced trauma from witnessing the execution.
Sigmon’s legal representative, Bo King, had sought a last-minute reprieve from the state’s governor, voicing concerns about the transparency of the lethal injection process. King also noted that Sigmon had shown signs of mental illness and highlighted his positive social interactions while imprisoned as evidence of his rehabilitation efforts.
In his final hours, Sigmon requested a last meal that included fried chicken, which he intended to share with fellow inmates. Ultimately, his last meal consisted of four pieces of fried chicken along with green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea, served two days before his execution.
In the context of historical executions, it is noteworthy that only three individuals have been executed by firing squad since 1977, all of whom were in Utah, with the last case occurring in 2010. As Sigmon’s execution approached, protests against the death penalty took place in Columbia, where demonstrators expressed their opposition with messages advocating for the sanctity of life.
In a move to secure anonymity for those involved in executions, South Carolina recently enacted a law mandating the confidentiality of the execution team’s identities. This practice aims to protect the individuals who carry out these events from potential public backlash.
Source
www.bbc.com