Another South Carolina inmate chooses to die by firing squad

Condemned SC inmate's defense rested on a sheriff's affidavit. Then the sheriff reversed course.

For almost 15 years, a man on death row who killed a SC cop and a NC gas station clerk relied on a retired Virginia sheriff's testimony to assist in commuting his death sentence. But weeks before Mahdi's execution, retired…

Firing Squad Over Lethal Injection—SC Death Row Inmate Opts for Bullets Over ‘Lingering Death’

South Carolina death row inmate Mikal Mahdi chooses execution by firing squad. That marks the state's second bullet execution in just over a month.

Mikal Mahdi, convicted of the murder of a police officer more than 20 years ago, is to be executed on 11 April. He announced that he chose to be killed by a firing squad.

'We're More Than the Worst Thing We've Done', Says Spiritual Adviser to Man Executed by Firing Squad

United Methodist pastor Rev. Hillary Taylor served as spiritual counselor to death row inmate Brad Sigmon, who was executed by firing squad in South Carolina March 7. She's executive director of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Article of Interest: Spiritual Adviser Reflects on Relationship with Executed Death Row Prisoner | Death Penalty Information Center

A March 25, 2025, sto­ry in *Religion News Service* details the spir­i­tu­al jour­ney of Rev. Hillary Taylor, a United Methodist min­is­ter who served as a spir­i­tu­al advis­er to Brad Sigmon, the South Carolina death row pris­on­er exe­cut­ed by fir­ing squad on March 7, 2025. Rev. Taylor, exec­u­tive direc­tor of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, reveals the pro­found human con­nec­tion she devel­oped with Mr. Sigmon, h…

Second South Carolina Inmate Chooses Death by Firing Squad

A second South Carolina death row inmate, 41-year-old Mikal Mahdi, has chosen to have his execution carried out by a firing squad.