Brad Keith Sigmon, a death row inmate in South Carolina, was executed by firing squad for the murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, making it the first firing squad execution in the state’s modern history and the first in the U.S. since 2010. Sigmon chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, admitting to the murders throughout his trial. The firing squad execution involved Sigmon being strapped to a chair with a hood over his head while three volunteer corrections staffers aimed loaded rifles at his heart and fired live rounds, resulting in his death. Sigmon’s attorney called the execution brutal and unfathomable, criticizing the state for orchestrating such a bloody spectacle.
Sigmon was convicted of beating Gladys and David Larke to death with a baseball bat in 2001 and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, who managed to escape. He expressed guilt and remorse during his trial and chose the firing squad method to avoid prolonged suffering from other methods. The attorney argued that Sigmon had struggled with mental illness and was not properly evaluated before his conviction, calling the execution barbaric and unjust. Sigmon’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Armstrong, forgave him and expressed that his execution would not bring her closure. Sigmon’s final meal was fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea, and he requested KFC for the other inmates, which was denied. The execution highlighted the rare use of the firing squad method in the U.S. and the ethical implications of capital punishment.
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