- The South Carolina firing squad execution failed to hit the heart, causing a slow and painful death.
- Medical experts and eyewitnesses confirmed the inmate stayed alive and suffered longer than expected.
- The inmate’s lawyers called the execution botched and urged the court to review it under state law.
The state of South Carolina used a firing squad to execute Mikal Mahdi on April 11, 2024. Mahdi, 42, murdered three people during a crime spree in 2004. One victim was 56-year-old off-duty police officer James Myers. Mahdi shot him at least eight times, then set his body on fire. During his final days, Mahdi chose the firing squad over other execution methods. That choice came just five weeks after South Carolina used the firing squad for the first time in decades. But the execution went wrong. A state autopsy later showed that the bullets missed Mahdi’s heart. The firing squad aimed for the chest, but none of the bullets hit the heart directly. Experts say this mistake caused a slow and painful death. Mahdi lived for up to a minute after the shots. He felt severe pain. He bled out slowly as his heart continued to beat.
Forensic Experts Say Mahdi Suffered More Than Expected
Dr. Jonathan Arden, a pathologist hired by Mahdi’s legal team, studied the state autopsy. He said Mahdi stayed alive for about 30 to 60 seconds. Arden said Mahdi remained conscious and felt “excruciating” pain. He said Mahdi’s death took longer than intended. Another expert, Dr. Carl Wigren, also reviewed the autopsy. He said Mahdi didn’t die right away. Wigren explained that Mahdi took time to bleed out because the bullets didn’t destroy the heart. The autopsy found only two bullet wounds in Mahdi’s chest. But three shooters fired. One doctor wrote that two bullets might have passed through the same hole. Wigren doubted this. He said it’s very rare for two bullets to hit the exact same spot. He called it “minuscule” odds.
Eyewitness Reports Match Medical Findings
Reporter Jeffrey Collins from the Associated Press watched the execution. He said Mahdi groaned about 45 seconds after the shots. Mahdi kept breathing for around 80 seconds. Then he made one final gasp. His observations matched what the forensic experts said. Mahdi did not die quickly. Instead, he remained alive and aware for much longer than the state had expected. Dr. Arden’s final report confirmed that the firing squad failed to kill Mahdi instantly. Both the autopsy and the eyewitness reports showed the same thing. Mahdi reacted, breathed, and suffered longer than expected. The state’s execution plan did not go as intended.
State Court Claimed Firing Squad Does Not Cause Cruel Pain
South Carolina’s Supreme Court approved the firing squad method last year. The justices ruled that it does not violate the state’s ban on cruel or unusual punishment. They said firing squad executions should only cause pain for 10 to 15 seconds. They also wrote that the only time it might take longer is if the squad misses the heart completely. That’s exactly what happened to Mahdi. His lawyers returned to court on May 8. They told the justices the execution was botched. They showed the autopsy and the expert reports. They argued that Mahdi suffered far more than the law allows. The court has not responded yet, but the evidence clearly shows a serious problem.
Crime Spree That Led to the Death Sentence
Mahdi committed a violent string of crimes in July 2004. He stole cars, used firearms, and killed three people. Officer James Myers was off duty when Mahdi shot him eight times. Then he burned the officer’s body to hide the crime. Mahdi’s actions shocked the state. A court sentenced him to death. Mahdi’s crimes were brutal. But his lawyers say his execution still had to follow the law. The law says the state cannot cause unnecessary pain. The law says the method of death must be quick. That did not happen in Mahdi’s case. Experts say he died slowly. They say the state failed to carry out a clean execution.
