The Supreme Court of South Carolina has dismissed the last notable appeal from Mikal Mahdi, who is set to be executed by firing squad this week for the calculated murder of an off-duty police officer. Mahdi’s defense team argued that his initial legal representation was inadequate, failing to present testimonies from family, educators, or acquaintances, and overlooked the impact of Mahdi’s extensive solitary confinement during his youth.
In a unanimous verdict, the state Supreme Court stated that the arguments presented were similar to those in earlier, unsuccessful appeals. Consequently, they refused to delay the scheduled execution to allow for further legal proceedings. Mahdi confessed to the murder of an off-duty police officer in an ambush at the officer’s shed in Calhoun County. He is the fifth individual in South Carolina to face execution within eight months, all of whom sought final appeals with the state Supreme Court, only to be denied.
Mahdi’s final chance for clemency lies with Governor Henry McMaster, to whom Mahdi may appeal for his sentence to be commuted to life in prison without parole just moments before the execution, scheduled for 6 p.m. on April 11 at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. Historically, no South Carolina governor has granted clemency in any of the 47 executions carried out since the death penalty was reinstated nationwide in 1976.
The 41-year-old was convicted for the 2004 murder of Officer James Myers, whom he shot multiple times before setting the body on fire. Myers’ wife discovered the crime scene in the shed that was a significant venue for their life together. The shed was located near a gas station where Mahdi attempted an unsuccessful transaction using a stolen credit card, afterward abandoning a stolen vehicle nearby. Mahdi was captured in Florida while operating Myers’ police truck.
Mahdi also confessed to murdering Christopher Biggs, a convenience store employee in North Carolina, three days prior to killing Officer Myers. Mahdi received a life sentence for that crime. After pleading guilty to Myers’ murder, it was left to a judge in South Carolina to determine if he would receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole. During the sentencing phase, the prosecution presented 28 witnesses, while Mahdi’s defense only called two, leading to a 30-minute argument for leniency.
The prosecution argued that Mahdi had the opportunity to present further evidence in a 2011 appeal held within the prison due to security concerns following Mahdi’s attempt to escape and assault on a guard. The appeal was ultimately denied. The state attorney highlighted the extensive review of any potential errors, humorously comparing it to the lengthy duration of popular television series.
Prison records detail Mahdi’s violent behavior, including multiple attempts to escape using contraband tools like a sharpened metal piece, characterized as a potential weapon. His history of violence against prison staff supports the prosecution’s portrayal of Mahdi as inherently violent.
Mahdi is set to become the second individual executed via South Carolina’s new firing squad method, following Brad Sigmon’s similar choice in the previous month. Historically, the firing squad has been used both as a punishment for military deserters and as an instrument of oppressive regimes worldwide. With only three executions by firing squad in the U.S. in the last five decades—taking place in Utah—the practice remains rare.
For Mahdi’s execution, three volunteer prison officers will shoot high-powered rifles from 15 feet (roughly 4.5 meters), aiming for the designated target on his chest. Though he had other options such as the electric chair or lethal injection, Mahdi chose the firing squad, a controversial and somber end to his story.