Mikal Mahdi, who brutally murdered a police officer in 2004, has chosen death by firing squad for his April 11 execution in South Carolina. He’s the second man to do so in the state.
At a glance:
• Mikal Mahdi will be the second South Carolina inmate executed by firing squad in modern history
• Mahdi pleaded guilty to murdering police officer James Myers in 2004, shooting him multiple times and setting his body on fire
• His lawyer claims Mahdi chose firing squad as the “lesser of three evils” over electric chair or lethal injection
• This follows Brad Sigmon’s execution on March 7, the first U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad in 15 years
• Three volunteer prison employees will carry out the execution with rifles loaded with live rounds
Brutal Murder of Officer James Myers
Mikal Mahdi’s crime spree in July 2004 culminated in the ambush and killing of public safety officer James Myers in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The convicted killer stole a gun and car, murdered a store clerk, and committed carjacking before encountering Officer Myers on July 18, 2004.
Court records show Mahdi shot Myers multiple times and then set the officer’s body on fire in a particularly heinous act of violence. The killer was captured three days later in Florida following an extensive manhunt for the cop-killing fugitive.
Second Firing Squad Execution in Modern South Carolina History
Mahdi’s attorney, David Weiss, made clear why his client selected the firing squad over other available methods. “Faced with barbaric and inhumane choices, Mikal Mahdi has chosen the lesser of three evils. Mikal chose the firing squad instead of being burned and mutilated in the electric chair, or suffering a lingering death on the lethal injection gurney,” Weiss stated.
This execution continues South Carolina’s return to carrying out death sentences, becoming the fourth inmate executed in the state in the past seven months. The scheduled April 11 execution will be carried out “by three volunteer prison employees” using rifles loaded with live ammunition.
Last-Ditch Legal Efforts
Mahdi’s legal team has filed a final appeal, arguing he received inadequate defense during his original trial. His lawyers claim his defense “didn’t even span the length of a Law & Order episode, and was just as superficial,” failing to properly present mitigating factors like his traumatic past and time in solitary confinement.
Prosecutors from the state Attorney General’s Office have strongly opposed the appeal, pointing to Mahdi’s violent history. They noted that “if his mitigation presentation before Judge Newman ‘didn’t even span the length of a Law & Order episode,’ the review of any potential error is in its 24th season,” emphasizing the exhaustive review process his case has already undergone.
Mahdi could theoretically seek clemency from Republican Governor Henry McMaster, but no South Carolina Governor has granted clemency in a death penalty case since 1976.
