Last month, South Carolina executed Mikal Mahdi using a firing squad, but reports indicate that the procedure did not follow protocol. Mahdi, sentenced to death in 2006, was shot in a manner that failed to hit his heart, leading to a prolonged death. Autopsy findings reveal he sustained only two significant injuries instead of three, with shot trajectories missing the intended target. Witnesses reported that Mahdi reacted and moaned for about 45 seconds post-shot, suggesting he experienced more pain than expected, contrary to state regulations stipulating a quick death.
Mahdi’s lawyers have raised questions about the training of the execution team and the accuracy of their report, highlighting that the autopsy lacked comprehensive analysis like X-rays. South Carolina’s prison communications director defended the execution’s validity, asserting that all shots were fired as required. The execution underscores broader concerns about the state’s methods following years of halted executions and a controversial return to capital punishment options, including firearms, electric chairs, and lethal injections.
Human rights advocates and Mahdi’s legal counsel argue that the execution process was flawed and inhumane, calling into question the effectiveness and ethics of the firing squad as a method of execution.
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