Inmate’s Choice Of Execution Method Revives Debate On Capital Punishment

South Carolina death row prisoner Mikal Mahdi has chosen to die by firing squad on April 11, calling it “the lesser of three evils” among his execution options and becoming the second inmate in the state to select this method in recent weeks.

Quick Takes

Mikal Mahdi, convicted of murdering police officer James Myers in 2004, will be executed by firing squad on April 11 in South Carolina.
Mahdi chose the firing squad over lethal injection and electric chair, considering it the least torturous option available.
This will be the second firing squad execution in South Carolina since March, when Brad Sigmon became the first U.S. prisoner executed by this method in 15 years.
Only three other inmates have been executed by firing squad in the United States since 1976, all in Utah.
Mahdi’s lawyers have filed a final appeal, citing inadequate defense during his original trial, but his chances for clemency appear slim.

A Rare Method of Execution Returns

Mikal Mahdi, scheduled to be executed on April 11, has chosen death by firing squad over the electric chair or lethal injection. The 41-year-old death row inmate in South Carolina will be the second person in the state to face this method of execution in recent weeks. On March 7, Brad Sigmon became the first American executed by firing squad in 15 years, also in South Carolina. This rare method of execution has only been used three other times in the United States since 1976, all in Utah, highlighting how uncommon this practice has become in modern American capital punishment.

The execution will be carried out by three prison employees who volunteered for the duty, each firing rifles loaded with live rounds. When presented with his options for execution, Mahdi’s attorney, David Weiss, explained that his client viewed the firing squad as the least horrific option available to him under South Carolina law, which requires death row inmates to choose from these three methods when facing execution.

Brutal Crimes Led to Death Sentence

Mahdi’s path to death row began with a violent crime spree in July 2004. Court records show he stole a gun and car before killing a store clerk in North Carolina. His rampage continued into South Carolina where he engaged in carjacking before his fatal encounter with public safety officer James Myers in Orangeburg on July 18, 2004. Prosecutors described how Mahdi ambushed Myers, shooting him multiple times before setting his body on fire. This brutal killing of a law enforcement officer led to Mahdi’s capture in Florida three days later and his subsequent guilty plea.

Mahdi’s crimes were particularly heinous, factors that weighed heavily in his death sentence. Prosecutors have emphasized his violent history, which included multiple serious offenses beyond the murder of Officer Myers. His execution will be the fourth carried out in South Carolina in the past seven months, signaling the state’s renewed commitment to implementing capital punishment after a decade-long pause due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs.

Mahdi’s attorney, David Weiss, made this statement on his client’s choice: “Faced with barbaric and inhumane choices, Mikal Mahdi has chosen the lesser of three evils. Mikal chose the firing squad instead of being burned and mutilated in the electric chair, or suffering a lingering death on the lethal injection gurney.”

Last-Minute Appeals and Slim Hopes for Clemency

Despite the approaching execution date, Mahdi’s legal team continues to fight. His lawyers have filed a final appeal arguing he received inadequate defense during his original trial. They contend that his defense presentation “didn’t even span the length of a Law & Order episode, and was just as superficial,” failing to properly address his traumatic past and mental health issues. They further argue that extended time in solitary confinement has impaired his judgment and ability to participate in his own defense.

The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has firmly rejected these arguments, maintaining that Mahdi’s sentence is just considering the severity of his crimes. Mahdi’s final chance to avoid execution rests with Governor Henry McMaster, who could grant clemency. However, history suggests this is unlikely, as no South Carolina governor has granted clemency in a death penalty case since 1976. With few legal options remaining, Mahdi appears increasingly likely to face the firing squad on April 11, continuing South Carolina’s recent resumption of executions after years of delay.