South Carolina’s Brad Sigmon Faces Historic Execution by Firing Squad, Marking First U.S. Use in 15 Years

Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old inmate on death row in South Carolina, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on March 7, 2025. This marks the first use of this execution method in the U.S. since 2010 and makes him the oldest person to be executed in South Carolina.

Sigmon gained notoriety after pleading guilty in July 2002 to murdering his ex-girlfriend Rebecca Barbare’s parents, David and Gladys Larke. The brutal crime involved striking both victims nine times with a baseball bat. Following a night of substance abuse, he committed the murders while Barbare was away taking her children to school. Afterward, he attempted to kidnap Barbare but she escaped.

He was apprehended after an extensive manhunt lasting eleven days and later extradited back to South Carolina. Sigmon received two death sentences alongside a lengthy prison term for burglary following his conviction. His execution date was set after the South Carolina Supreme Court lifted a moratorium on executions that had been in place since 2013.

The choice of firing squad comes amid ongoing debates about execution methods in South Carolina. In June 2021, inmates were given options including electrocution and lethal injection; however, Sigmon opted for firing squad due to concerns over potential complications with lethal injection drugs previously used in other executions.

Despite calls for clemency from opponents of the death penalty, no governor has commuted a sentence for a death row inmate in South Carolina’s history. Sigmon’s attorneys have filed motions seeking stays of execution based on claims that he faces an unjust choice between violent methods of capital punishment.

This upcoming execution highlights significant legal and ethical discussions surrounding capital punishment methods within the united states as well as individual cases like Sigmon’s that evoke public interest and debate.