Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old death row inmate, became the first person in 15 years to be executed by firing squad in the United States. Sigmon, who was sentenced to death in 2002 for the brutal double murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, shared a final meal of three buckets of KFC, mashed potatoes, and green beans with fellow prisoners before his execution at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.
Convicted killer admitted guilt in 2002 trial
Sigmon was convicted of killing David and Gladys Larke with a baseball bat in their home just a week after their daughter ended their relationship. During his trial nearly 23 years ago, he admitted, “I am guilty.”
A previous court session revealed that Sigmon, under the influence of crack cocaine, had confided in a friend about his plans to take revenge on his ex-girlfriend, Becky Barbare. He reportedly intended to “tie her parents up” before carrying out the attack.
The execution was carried out by firing squad after Supreme Court denial
Sigmon’s legal team had petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the execution, but the request was denied. His death was carried out as scheduled on Friday, shortly after 6 p.m. EST (11 p.m. GMT).
Three riflemen, positioned behind a wall with small openings, fired simultaneously at Sigmon, who was seated and dressed in a black jumpsuit with a hood over his head. A white target with a red bullseye was placed on his chest, marking the point of impact. Witnesses, separated from the chamber by bullet-resistant glass, saw the target blown off his chest when the shots rang out.
Sigmon appeared to take a few final breaths, with a red stain visible on his chest. A doctor entered the chamber about a minute later, examined him for 90 seconds, and pronounced him dead at 6:08 p.m.
Fear of electric chair led to choice of firing squad
South Carolina law allows death row inmates to choose their method of execution. Sigmon’s attorney, Gerald King, stated that his client opted for the firing squad out of fear that electrocution would “burn and cook him alive.”
“Mr. Sigmon will be executed in nine days by a method that he chose out of necessity, fear of a torturous death, and without the information needed to assess his alternatives,” his legal team argued before his execution.
Sigmon’s lawyers claimed he was essentially forced into choosing the firing squad due to concerns that South Carolina’s lethal injection procedures could cause pulmonary edema, a slow and painful death.
First execution by firing squad outside Utah since 1976
Sigmon’s execution marks only the fourth time a firing squad has been used in the U.S. since 1976. The previous three cases all took place in Utah, with the last occurring in 2010.
The use of firing squads remains highly controversial, with critics calling the method archaic and inhumane. However, with lethal injection drugs becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, some states have begun revisiting alternative execution methods. South Carolina reinstated the firing squad as an option in 2021, amid ongoing legal battles over the availability of lethal injection drugs. As debates over the death penalty continue, Sigmon’s execution reignites discussions about the ethics and methods of capital punishment in the United States.
