Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old convicted double murderer from South Carolina, became the first death row inmate in the United States to be executed by firing squad in 15 years. In his final moments, Sigmon, who was sentenced to death for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, preached about the Bible’s stance against killing.
Sigmon was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. after three volunteers from the state corrections department fired at a target placed over his heart. The execution took place behind a wall, approximately 15 feet away from Sigmon. His last words, delivered through his attorney, were Bible quotes that he believed demonstrated that the New Testament does not grant humans the authority to kill one another.
In his final statement, Sigmon called for an end to the death penalty, criticizing the “eye for an eye” justification used during his trial. He argued that this Old Testament law is no longer applicable under the New Testament. Sigmon chose the firing squad over other execution methods, such as lethal injection or the electric chair, believing it to be less torturous.
Sigmon was convicted in 2002 for the 2001 murders of David and Gladys Larke, his ex-girlfriend’s parents. He had forced his way into their home in Greenville County and bludgeoned them to death with a baseball bat. Sigmon then kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, but she managed to escape and survive despite being shot.
The execution took place at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. Sigmon, dressed in a black jumpsuit and hooded, was strapped into a metal chair. A white target with a red bullseye was placed over his chest, and the trained volunteers fired simultaneously through openings in the wall.
The execution was witnessed by approximately 12 individuals, including three of the victim’s family members, Sigmon’s attorney and spiritual advisor, a representative from the prosecuting solicitor’s office, the Greenville Sheriff’s Department, and three reporters. A crowd of protesters also gathered outside the prison ahead of the execution.
Sigmon’s execution has sparked a national debate. He claimed he was forced to choose his method of death, arguing he wasn’t given information about the lethal injection method when he decided how to end his life. South Carolina law requires death row inmates to select their own method of execution — lethal injection, electric chair, or firing squad. If no choice is made, the default option is the electric chair.
His attorney made a last-minute appeal to save his life, which was rejected by South Carolina’s Supreme Court. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who had the option to commute Sigmon’s death sentence moments before the execution began, opted to allow the process to proceed.