Sigmon’s final appeal rejected; execution to proceed at Broad River Correctional Institution
The US is set to conduct its first execution by firing squad in 15 years after the South Carolina Supreme Court rejected the final appeal of convicted murderer Brad Sigmon. With all legal options exhausted, Sigmon is scheduled to be executed on Friday (March 7).
Who is Brad Sigmon?
Brad Sigmon, 67, was sentenced to death for the brutal 2002 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, whom he killed with a baseball bat. According to reports, he planned to kidnap his ex-partner, spend a final weekend together, and then kill her before committing suicide. However, she managed to escape before he could carry out his plan.
“If I couldn’t have her, I wasn’t going to let anybody else have her,” he confessed following his arrest.
Execution process: Firing squad preparations underway
Sigmon will be strapped into a chair in the death chamber at Broad River Correctional Institution at 6 PM on Friday. A hood will be placed over his head, and a target will be positioned over his heart. Three shooters, positioned 15 feet (4.57 meters) away, will fire live rounds.
If the execution proceeds, it will be the first firing squad execution in the US in 15 years.
Firing squad vs. lethal injection: A grim choice
Sigmon’s attorneys sought to delay the execution, arguing that South Carolina’s lack of transparency over its lethal injection protocol forced him to choose the firing squad over a potentially torturous death by injection.
The state also offers the electric chair, but Sigmon declined, fearing he would be “cooked alive.”
Autopsy reports from two previous executions using pentobarbital revealed fluid buildup in the lungs, raising concerns that inmates may have experienced distress and suffocation. However, witnesses at those executions reported no visible signs of suffering.
Last-minute plea for clemency
With time running out, Sigmon’s legal team has made a final appeal to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, urging him to commute the death sentence to life in prison. They argue that Sigmon has been a model prisoner, trusted by guards, and actively working to atone for his crimes.
McMaster’s decision is expected just moments before the execution. However, no South Carolina governor has granted clemency since the state reinstated the death penalty 49 years ago.
