Killer executed by firing squad made one last harrowing final statement | World | News
A deranged double murderer who brutally killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat delivered a chilling final message before his execution on death row.
Brad Keith Sigmon was put to death by firing squad at 67 in South Carolina, US, following the savage murders.
He had forced his way into David and Gladys Larke’s home in Greenville County after their daughter Rebecca Barbare ended their relationship.
The pair had been together for approximately three years, living in a trailer park close to David and Gladys’ home.
Following an evening of drinking and taking crack cocaine, Sigmon informed an associate he intended to “get Becky for leaving him” and would “tie her parents up”, court records revealed, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/harrowing-final-words-killer-executed-36196962″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.
Brandishing a baseball bat, he mercilessly assaulted both parents, delivering nine blows to each of their heads during the 2001 slayings.
David’s “skull was almost broken in two”, the court was told during the 2002 proceedings.
Sigmon seized David’s firearm and attempted to force Rebecca towards the vehicle, but she managed to flee as he discharged rounds in her direction.
He subsequently escaped, triggering an 11-day police hunt that concluded in Tennessee. Sigmon received his sentence in 2002 and stayed on death row until early March 2025.
He selected the firing squad as he was terrified the electric chair would “burn and cook him alive”, his legal representative stated. On the day of execution, 8 March 2025, Sigmon was secured to a chair in the death chamber of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
A hood was placed over his head and a bullseye target was positioned on his chest. Behind a curtain, three volunteer riflemen stood less than 15 feet away, with a basin situated beneath the chair to collect any stray blood.
His lawyer read aloud Sigmon’s final words just before the shots were fired at 6:05pm. He stated: “I want my closing statement to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty. An eye for an eye was used as justification to the jury for seeking the death penalty.
“At that time, I was too ignorant to know how wrong that was… We are now under God’s grace and mercy.”
Three members of the Larke family, along with Sigmon’s spiritual adviser, were present to witness the execution. After being shot, his chest rose and fell several times, and.
308 Winchester Tap Urban bullets were used to carry out the execution. The level of pain these bullets inflict on victims is still a topic of debate among experts.
