Brad Sigmon, 67, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on Friday, becoming the first U.S. inmate in 15 years to die by this method.
Convicted in 2002 for the brutal murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, Sigmon chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, fearing prolonged suffering.
The execution occurred at 6:05 p.m. at Broad River Correctional Institution. Three volunteers fired rifles from 15 feet away, aiming at Sigmon’s chest. Witnesses reported his chest heaving briefly before he was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.
In his final statement, Sigmon urged fellow Christians to help end the death penalty, saying, “An eye for an eye was used as justification… we no longer live under the Old Testament law.”
This marks South Carolina’s first use of the firing squad since its approval in 2021, following challenges in obtaining lethal injection drugs. The state had not performed executions in over a decade prior to this.
The execution has reignited debates over capital punishment, with protesters outside the prison holding signs reading “all life is precious” and “thou shalt not kill.”
Sigmon’s execution is the fourth by firing squad in the U.S. since 1977, with the previous three occurring in Utah, the last in 2010.
His attorney criticized the execution methods and lack of transparency in lethal injection procedures, calling the firing squad execution a “bloody spectacle.”
Sigmon’s last meal included fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea.
Counseling services are being offered to prison staff affected by the execution.
