Someone’s not telling the truth about South Carolina’s death penalty

SC Lawmakers want investigation into firing squad death

After claims were made by executed inmate Mikal Madhi's lawyers, lawmakers are looking for answers.

Lawyers Raise Concern as Autopsy Finds South Carolina’s Second Firing Squad Execution May Have Been Botched | Death Penalty Information Center

On May 8, 2025, Mikal Deen Mahdi’s lawyers sub­mit­ted to the South Carolina Supreme Court the state pathol­o­gy report in his case which sug­gests that Mr. Mahdi’s exe­cu­tion last month by fir­ing squad did not go as planned. Pathologists report­ed that not only did Mr. Mahdi have two wounds as opposed to the antic­i­pat­ed three wounds from three South Carolina Corrections Department (SCDC) shoot­ers, but also that they missed the intend­ed t…

Someone’s not telling the truth about South Carolina’s death penalty

Autopsy details of Mikal Mahdi’s execution bring to light critical errors in South Carolina’s death penalty methods, demanding transparency and reform.

Lawyers for Mikal Mahdi allege ‘botched’ firing squad execution in South Carolina

Mikal Mahdi. / Credit: Federal Public Defenders (proof), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA). Lawyers who represent the recently executed Mikal Mahdi are alleging that the South Carolina... [...]

Lawyers allege ‘botched’ firing squad execution in South Carolina

Mikal Mahdi. / Credit: Federal Public Defenders (proof), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA). Lawyers who represent the recently executed Mikal Mahdi are alleging that the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) “botched” their client’s firing squad execution, which caused him to scream out in pain and remain conscious for nearly one minute until he eventually died.Mahdi, who was …

A Progressive Justice Billed This Method of Execution as “Relatively Quick and Painless.” She Was Wrong.

Last week, we learned another hard lesson about executions, namely that there is no foolproof way of killing someone.