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On March 7, 2025, Brad Keith Sigmon, a 67-year-old convicted double murderer, was executed by firing squad at South Carolina's Broad River Correctional Institution. This marked the first use of this execution method in the United States in 15 years, and the first ever in South Carolina.
In April 2001, Sigmon brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend's parents, William David Larke and Gladys Gwendolyn Larke, in Greenville County, South Carolina. He bludgeoned them to death with a baseball bat after his ex-girlfriend ended their relationship. Following the murders, Sigmon kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint; she later escaped, and he fired at her as she fled, but missed. Sigmon was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to death for the double murder, along with a 30-year sentence for first-degree burglary.
South Carolina law requires death row inmates to choose their method of execution: lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad. Sigmon selected the firing squad, expressing concerns about the other methods. He feared that the electric chair would “cook him alive” and that lethal injection could result in a prolonged, painful death due to potential complications with the drugs used.
Sigmon was executed by three volunteer prison employees who fired rifles loaded with live ammunition. He was strapped to a chair, with a hood over his head and a target placed over his heart. Witnesses reported that after the shots were fired, Sigmon's body moved briefly before he was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.
In his final statement, Sigmon expressed remorse and called for an end to the death penalty, citing Christian teachings of grace and mercy. His execution reignited debates over the ethics and methods of capital punishment in the United States.
Sigmon’s execution was the first by firing squad in the U.S. since 2010 and only the fourth since 1976. It highlighted ongoing issues surrounding execution methods, particularly concerns about the availability and humaneness of lethal injection drugs. South Carolina had not carried out an execution in over a decade due to difficulties in obtaining these drugs, leading to the reinstatement of alternative methods like the firing squad.
The case underscores the complexities and controversies of capital punishment in the modern era, prompting discussions about the morality and implementation of the death penalty in the United States.
The Crime and Conviction
In April 2001, Sigmon brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend's parents, William David Larke and Gladys Gwendolyn Larke, in Greenville County, South Carolina. He bludgeoned them to death with a baseball bat after his ex-girlfriend ended their relationship. Following the murders, Sigmon kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint; she later escaped, and he fired at her as she fled, but missed. Sigmon was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to death for the double murder, along with a 30-year sentence for first-degree burglary.
Choice of Execution Method
South Carolina law requires death row inmates to choose their method of execution: lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad. Sigmon selected the firing squad, expressing concerns about the other methods. He feared that the electric chair would “cook him alive” and that lethal injection could result in a prolonged, painful death due to potential complications with the drugs used.
The Execution
Sigmon was executed by three volunteer prison employees who fired rifles loaded with live ammunition. He was strapped to a chair, with a hood over his head and a target placed over his heart. Witnesses reported that after the shots were fired, Sigmon's body moved briefly before he was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.
Final Statement and Reactions
In his final statement, Sigmon expressed remorse and called for an end to the death penalty, citing Christian teachings of grace and mercy. His execution reignited debates over the ethics and methods of capital punishment in the United States.
Broader Context
Sigmon’s execution was the first by firing squad in the U.S. since 2010 and only the fourth since 1976. It highlighted ongoing issues surrounding execution methods, particularly concerns about the availability and humaneness of lethal injection drugs. South Carolina had not carried out an execution in over a decade due to difficulties in obtaining these drugs, leading to the reinstatement of alternative methods like the firing squad.
The case underscores the complexities and controversies of capital punishment in the modern era, prompting discussions about the morality and implementation of the death penalty in the United States.