Brad Sigmon, the first South Carolina death row inmate to be executed by firing squad, was put to death on Friday night. Media witness Jeffrey Collins described the execution as a violent and tense process. Collins has been a witness to 11 South Carolina executions in his career. Sigmon was sentenced to death in 2002 for killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat in 2001. He had also abducted and shot his ex-girlfriend, who survived, before being caught after a 10-day manhunt.
Sigmon’s execution proceeded despite legal challenges questioning the state’s lethal injection protocol. The autopsy reports of previous executions raised concerns as some inmates took longer to die than expected due to errors in administering the lethal drugs. Sigmon’s attorney unsuccessfully sought a stay of execution at the last minute but was denied by both the U.S. Supreme Court and Governor Henry McMaster.
The firing squad method was chosen by Sigmon as an alternative to lethal injection or the electric chair. South Carolina has resumed executions after a pause due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Sigmon’s execution was witnessed by reporters and carried out according to the state’s protocols.
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