In a deeply troubling incident, the execution of Mikal Mahdi by firing squad in South Carolina last month has drawn significant scrutiny. Autopsy records and legal representatives reveal that the execution did not proceed according to protocol, resulting in Mahdi suffering a prolonged death. At 42 years old, Mahdi was executed on April 11, marking the second firing squad execution this year in South Carolina. The state has aggressively reinstated capital punishment over the past seven months, reviving the controversial firing squad method that has rarely been used in the modern era of the death penalty.
According to autopsy documents reviewed by The Guardian and analysis commissioned by Mahdi's attorneys, the execution did not align with established protocols. The expected procedure calls for shooters to target the heart, but Mahdi's wounds indicated otherwise. His lawyers submitted these unsettling findings to the South Carolina Supreme Court last Thursday, seeking accountability and clarity on the execution process. The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) and the state attorney general have been contacted for comments regarding this incident.
Mahdi was sentenced to death in 2006 and faced execution in a highly controlled environment. He was strapped to a chair with a red bullseye target placed over his heart. Witnesses observed from behind bulletproof glass, while three prison employees comprised the firing squad, standing approximately 15 feet away. A hood was placed over Mahdi's head before the volley of gunfire began. Reports indicate that as shots were fired, Mahdi cried out and exhibited physical distress, with witnesses noting he groaned and continued to breathe for around 80 seconds after the initial shots.
The autopsy report revealed that Mahdi sustained only two gunshot wounds, primarily affecting his pancreas, liver, and lower lung, and significantly missing the heart. Dr. Bradley Marcus, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy for the state, noted the presence of two half-inch gunshot wounds on Mahdi’s chest. However, he suggested that three shots might have been fired, casting doubt on the execution's accuracy. In contrast, Dr. Jonathan Arden, a forensic pathologist hired by Mahdi’s legal team, emphasized that it would be extraordinarily uncommon for multiple bullets to enter through a single wound, raising further questions about the execution's execution protocol.
Dr. Arden's analysis indicated that the trajectory of the bullets was downward, primarily missing the heart. He compared Mahdi's execution to that of Brad Sigmon, whose firing squad execution resulted in considerable damage to both ventricles of the heart. In Mahdi's case, the autopsy revealed only four perforations of the right ventricle. Dr. Arden noted that the execution team’s failure to hit the target area resulted in Mahdi retaining circulation for a prolonged period, leading to a harrowing experience of conscious pain for up to a minute.
Mahdi’s attorneys have posed critical questions regarding the execution, questioning whether one member of the execution team missed entirely or if the target on Mahdi's chest was improperly placed. They argued that this incident constitutes a "massive botch" of the execution process, violating assumptions made by the court when authorizing firing squads as a method of capital punishment. Legal representatives have expressed that this incident undermines the belief that SCDC could be trusted to execute its straightforward steps effectively.
David Weiss, one of Mahdi's attorneys, voiced his concerns, stating that the execution's outcome raises serious doubts about the ability to schedule future execution dates without risking similar horrors. South Carolina had suspended executions for 13 years due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection supplies but resumed capital punishment last year, offering death row inmates the choice between firing squad, electric chair, or lethal injection.
The botched execution of Mikal Mahdi has sparked significant debate regarding the ethical implications of capital punishment and the methods used. Weiss remarked on the shift in perceptions surrounding lethal injection, which was initially thought to be more humane but has revealed its own flaws. Mahdi’s choice of the firing squad was regarded as the “lesser of three evils,” highlighting the desperate circumstances surrounding execution methods.
In light of recent events, advocates are calling for a thorough review of the execution process in South Carolina and beyond. A human rights report from the previous year documented 73 botched lethal injection executions over the last 50 years, particularly affecting Black individuals on death row. As states explore alternative methods, such as nitrogen gas, the implications of execution methods on human rights and dignity remain a pressing concern.
