Brad Sigmon mug shot

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Kate Nalepinski

By Kate Nalepinski

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A South Carolina man convicted of a double murder is set to be executed by firing squad, marking the first use of this method in the state and the first in the U.S. since 2010.

Brad Keith Sigmon, 67, who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2001, is scheduled for execution at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia at 6 p.m. on March 7.

The Context

Sigmon's execution will be the first firing squad execution in South Carolina's modern history and only the fourth in the United States since 1977. South Carolina reintroduced the firing squad as an execution method in 2021 after difficulties in securing lethal injection drugs led to a 13-year halt in executions.

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State officials argue that offering alternative methods ensures the death penalty remains enforceable, while some critics view it as an inhumane form of punishment.

It comes as President Donald Trump has supported more executions and has suggested expanding capital punishment at the federal level for convicted pedophiles, drug offenders and individuals who kill police.

Who Is Brad Keith Sigmon?

Sigmon was convicted in 2002 of murdering David and Gladys Larke, the parents of his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Armstrong, at their home in Greenville County, South Carolina.

According to court records, he beat the couple to death with a baseball bat before abducting Armstrong. She managed to escape after he shot at her once, and the gun malfunctioned.

During his trial, Sigmon told the jury, "I am guilty. I have no excuse for what I did. It's my fault, and I'm not trying to blame nobody else for it, and I'm sorry."

Sigmon's attorneys have argued that undiagnosed mental illness played a role in the crime.

Brad Sigmon mug shot

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Firing Squad History: When Was the Last Execution?

The last execution by firing squad in the U.S. occurred in Utah in 2010 when Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed for a 1984 murder.

Utah remains the only state that has used this method since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, carrying out three firing squad executions.

Five states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho—currently allow firing squads as an alternative execution method.

How Do Firing Squad Executions Work?

In South Carolina, the execution will take place in a specially designed chamber where Sigmon will be strapped into a chair. The state spent approximately $54,000 retrofitting its execution chamber for firing squad use.

Three corrections officers will fire rifles loaded with bullets designed to break apart on impact, maximizing fatality and minimizing suffering. A doctor will confirm Sigmon's death after the shots are fired.

Why Is Sigmon Facing the Death Penalty?

Sigmon's conviction resulted in a death sentence due to the brutal nature of the murders and his subsequent kidnapping of Armstrong. Prosecutors argued that the premeditated attack warranted the harshest penalty.

Despite his legal team's efforts to highlight his mental health struggles and reformation in prison, courts have consistently upheld his sentence.

His legal team argues that South Carolina's secrecy surrounding its execution protocols, including withholding details about lethal injection drugs, has forced Sigmon to choose between two controversial methods: electrocution or the firing squad.

In a press release, attorney Gerald "Bo" King said: "Brad has no illusions about what being shot will do to his body. He does not wish to inflict that pain on his family, the witnesses, or the execution team. But, given South Carolina's unnecessary and unconscionable secrecy, Brad is choosing as best he can."

Where Is the Death Penalty Legal? State-by-State Breakdown

As of 2025, 27 states still allow the death penalty, with varying methods of execution:

Lethal injection remains the most common, though some states, including South Carolina, have authorized alternative methods such as electrocution, nitrogen gas and firing squads due to shortages of execution drugs.

What Happens Next

Sigmon's execution is scheduled to proceed on March 7. It comes amid continued debates over the death penalty. If the execution proceeds as planned, it could set a precedent for the use of firing squads in other states where lethal injection challenges persist.

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