A South Carolina death row inmate, Brad Sigmon, has chosen to be executed by firing squad. If the execution proceeds as scheduled on March 7, it will mark the first time in 15 years that capital punishment in the United States is carried out by gunfire.
Sigmon, 67, is among several inmates facing execution as South Carolina revives its capital punishment program after a 13-year hiatus.
Under state law, death row inmates must choose between the electric chair, lethal injection, or firing squad. If they do not select a method, the default is electrocution.
Murder Case and Legal Appeals
Sigmon was convicted for the 2001 murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. During his trial, he admitted guilt, but his attorneys have argued that his actions were influenced by a childhood marred by physical abuse, neglect, and undiagnosed mental illness.
His lawyers filed a petition on Thursday to halt the execution, contending that his original defense counsel failed to present critical evidence of his trauma and mental illness. They also raised concerns over South Carolina’s lethal injection procedures and the secrecy surrounding the drugs used in executions.
