Brad Keith Sigmon executed by firing squad: first execution in 15 years in the USA

Convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend’s parents, Sigmon chose firing squad as an alternative to electric chair and lethal injection

Brad Keith Sigmon, sentenced to death for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, was executed by firing squad at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina’s capital. This was the first execution in the United States by this method in 15 years. Sigmon had opted for the firing squad, rejecting the traditional methods of the electric chair and lethal injection, both of which are legal in the state.

Latest stay request rejected by the Supreme Court

Despite an extreme attempt by his lawyer to obtain a stay of execution, the South Carolina Supreme Court denied the request. The execution went ahead as planned, marked by the fact that it is only the third time in recent US history that a condemned man has chosen firing squad as his method of execution, following cases in Utah in 1977, 1996 and 2000.

Fear of lethal injection and the decision to be shot

Sigmon’s lawyer revealed that his client had chosen the firing squad for fear of the suffering he might undergo by lethal injection, a method that is often criticised for its possible ineffectiveness and non-transparent protocols. ‘Sigmon was afraid of the potential suffering associated with lethal injection,’ said the lawyer, emphasising that much information about the injection process remains secret.

The dynamics of the execution: firing squad at a distance of 4.6 metres

According to US media reports, the firing squad consisted of three volunteer officers from the South Carolina Department of Corrections. They fired from a distance of about 4.6 metres through cracks in the wall. Sigmon, dressed in a black jumpsuit with a small red target placed over his heart, was shot dead.

The journalists present observed the entire execution from behind bulletproof glass. After being shot, Sigmon was put a hood over his head, and the procedure was completed within two minutes.

Brad Keith Sigmon’s final message

In his final message, read by his lawyer Gerald King, Sigmon sent words of love and called on Christians to unite in the battle against the death penalty. His last words emphasised an appeal against the system of executions in the United States.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)