The last three executions in South Carolina were carried out using pentobarbital, a sedative. Each took over 20 minutes, and in one instance, the inmate appeared to suffer effects similar to drowning and suffocation, according to court filings. Sigmon’s lawyers have also criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the state’s lethal injection protocols.
“He has a right to this choice, but it’s not an informed choice,” King said. “My frustration is we are in a world where he has to choose between being electrocuted, poisoned, or shot, and we can’t even get the most basic facts you would want to make that decision.”
History of South Carolina Executions
South Carolina halted executions in 2011 due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs after pharmaceutical companies stopped selling them for use in capital punishment. Then, in 2023, state lawmakers passed a shield law to protect the identities of drug suppliers, allowing officials to resume executions.
According to South Carolina officials, the firing squad execution process involves strapping the inmate to a chair, placing an “aim point” on the heart, and covering the head with a hood. Three shooters positioned behind a 15-foot wall then fire their rifles through an opening.
