Brad Sigmon’s final meal has been revealed ahead of his scheduled execution today (March 7), marking South Carolina’s first-ever use of a firing squad.
Sigmon, 67, was sentenced to death in 2001 for the brutal murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. Following a breakup with Rebecca Barbre, Sigmon broke into her parents’ home in Greenville County, South Carolina, and bludgeoned them to death with a baseball bat. He also attempted to kidnap and kill Barbre but was unsuccessful.
After more than two decades on death row, Sigmon is now set to be the first person executed by firing squad in South Carolina and the first in the U.S. in 15 years to die by this method.
Sigmon’s Final Meal
As is customary for death row inmates, Sigmon was given the option to choose his final meal. Rather than a large personal feast, he reportedly requested three buckets of KFC chicken, intending to share it with his fellow death row inmates, according to his attorney, Bo King.
Last-Minute Legal Efforts to Halt Execution
With the execution looming, King has been making last-minute attempts to save Sigmon’s life, arguing that his client was experiencing a “psychotic break” at the time of the murders.
“The death penalty is intended for the worst of the worst,” King stated, arguing that Sigmon’s mental state at the time of the crime should have been a mitigating factor in his sentencing.
King also contends that Sigmon was not fully informed about his execution options, particularly regarding lethal injection. In a letter filed last month, he wrote:
“Brad Sigmon has repeatedly asked for the basic facts needed to determine if South Carolina’s drugs are expired, diluted, or spoiled. He has thus far been denied.”
South Carolina law currently does not require officials to disclose key details about their execution methods, including the source, dosage, or administration process for lethal injection drugs.
According to King, Sigmon ultimately chose death by firing squad out of fear that a lethal injection could lead to a prolonged, painful death, as has been reported in previous executions.
A Historic Execution
Sigmon’s execution will mark a significant moment in U.S. capital punishment history, as firing squads have been rarely used in modern times. The last execution by firing squad in the U.S. took place in 2010 in Utah.
Despite the controversy surrounding the method, South Carolina introduced firing squads as an option in 2021 due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs.
As of now, all legal appeals have been exhausted, and Sigmon is expected to face his final moments today.
