South Carolina Man to Be Executed by Firing Squad

• Mar 7, 2025

First U.S. Execution by Firing Squad in 15 Years

A South Carolina inmate convicted of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat will be the first person in the U.S. to be executed by firing squad since 2010.

Execution Details

Brad Sigmon, 67, is scheduled to be executed on Friday at 6:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. GMT). If the execution proceeds, three anonymous volunteers will fire rifles at his chest using specially designed bullets. Sigmon will be strapped to a chair in the execution chamber with a target placed on his heart and a bag over his head.

Sigmon was convicted in 2001 for the murders of David and Gladys Larke before kidnapping his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. She later managed to escape as he fired at her. Given the choice between the electric chair and lethal injection, his lawyers stated that he opted for the firing squad due to concerns about the effectiveness of the other methods.

His execution will be the first by firing squad in the U.S. in 15 years and only the fourth since the country reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

The Case

Sigmon was charged with murder in 2001 after investigators determined he had beaten his ex-girlfriend’s parents to death with a baseball bat in their home in Greenville County.

Following the murders, Sigmon kidnapped his ex-girlfriend with the intent to harm her before she escaped. He later admitted to detectives, "I couldn't have her. I wasn't going to let anybody else have her."

His legal team recently requested more time to investigate the drug used for lethal injection and raised concerns about the adequacy of his 2002 defense representation. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court denied their appeal this week, leaving no further legal obstacles to his execution.

No South Carolina governor has granted clemency to a death row inmate since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

How the Execution Works

The firing squad execution follows a precise procedure. Sigmon will be strapped to a chair designed with a basin below it to collect blood. A target will be placed over his heart, and a bag will be placed over his head.

Three volunteers, hidden behind a curtain, will fire from a distance of 15 feet (4.6 meters). The bullets used are designed to fragment upon impact, maximizing damage. Medical experts debate how much pain this method inflicts.

A doctor will confirm Sigmon’s death following the gunfire. Witnesses will be allowed to observe the execution from behind bulletproof glass, but the executioners will remain anonymous to protect their identities.

In 2023, South Carolina passed a law ensuring the secrecy of execution team members. It also prohibits disclosing details about the procurement of lethal injection drugs, as pharmaceutical companies increasingly refuse to supply them for executions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has challenged this law in court.

The Role of Firing Squads in South Carolina

South Carolina spent $54,000 constructing its firing squad area in 2022 due to difficulties in acquiring lethal injection drugs.

The new law shields details about lethal injection procedures, including supplier names and drug contents. Most death row inmates in the state have been executed via electrocution, though the last three were given lethal injections containing pentobarbital. Those inmates were declared dead 20 minutes after injection, though they appeared to stop breathing within minutes.

The lack of transparency regarding these executions has sparked criticism. The ACLU argues that the state’s secrecy silences scientists, doctors, journalists, and others who scrutinize the safety, morality, and legality of lethal injection.

Sigmon himself expressed doubts about the effectiveness of lethal injection. His legal team noted that an autopsy from a previous execution revealed an unusual amount of fluid in the victim’s lungs, raising concerns about suffering.

Explaining Sigmon’s choice, his attorney stated, "He does not wish to inflict that pain on his family, the witnesses, or the execution team. But, given South Carolina’s unnecessary and unconscionable secrecy, Brad is choosing as best he can."

Nationally, only three people have been executed by firing squad since 1976.