Mikal Mahdi, a South Carolina death row inmate, has chosen execution by firing squad over lethal injection and electric chair. His execution is set for April 11, following Brad Sigmon’s firing squad execution on March 7, marking the state's return to this method. Mahdi, guilty of murdering a police officer in 2004, described his choice as selecting a lesser evil amid inhumane options. His lawyers filed a final appeal, arguing inadequate representation during his original trial, which lasted only 30 minutes, without witnesses to support his defense.
"Faced with barbaric and inhumane choices, Mikal Mahdi has chosen the lesser of three evils," one of his lawyers, David Weiss, said in a statement.
Mahdi's execution will mark the first firing squad execution in South Carolina since the state resumed this method of capital punishment just five weeks prior.
The choice of execution method has been described as a heinous decision, representing a cruel reality faced by death row inmates.
Only three other U.S. inmates have been killed by firing squad in the past 50 years outside of South Carolina.
Collection
[
|
...
]