In South Carolina, death row inmate Brad Sigmon, scheduled for execution on March 7, has opted for execution by firing squad instead of lethal injection or electrocution. Sigmon, 67, is the first inmate in South Carolina to choose this method since the state restored the option, partly due to challenges in obtaining lethal injection drugs. He was convicted in 2001 of murdering the parents of an estranged girlfriend.
Sigmon’s legal team has raised concerns regarding the last three executions, citing complications and prolonged deaths during the lethal injection process. They had requested a postponement of his execution to receive autopsy information from the last inmate executed, which was denied by the judge. In his confession, Sigmon demonstrated a history of violence towards his ex-girlfriend, indicating his disturbed mindset. His last legal recourse may involve appealing to Governor Henry McMaster for clemency, though the governor has not commuted sentences in decades.
The use of the firing squad is seen as a controversial but necessary choice for Sigmon, with his lawyer stating it is a response to the uncertainty surrounding lethal injections, which could result in a painful death. Since 1976, there have only been a handful of executions by firing squad in the U.S., all occurring in Utah. South Carolina has executed 46 prisoners since bringing back the death penalty, but the state has not performed executions regularly since the 2000s.
Source link
