A convicted double murderer, who brutally killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents, made a chilling plea before facing his execution on death row. Brad Keith Sigmon, aged 67, was executed by a firing squad in South Carolina, USA, for the gruesome murders. The incident occurred when he broke into the residence of David and Gladys Larke in Greenville County following a breakup with their daughter, Rebecca Barbare.
After a night of substance abuse, Sigmon informed a friend of his intentions to retaliate against Rebecca for ending their relationship by harming her parents. Armed with a baseball bat, he viciously assaulted both victims, inflicting nine blows to each of their heads during the tragic events in 2001. The court proceedings in 2002 revealed the extent of the brutality, with David’s skull nearly split in two. Sigmon also attempted to abduct Rebecca at gunpoint, but she managed to escape unharmed.
Following the murders, Sigmon went on the run, evading capture for 11 days before being apprehended in Tennessee. He was sentenced in 2002 and spent over two decades on death row. Concerned about the electric chair’s method of execution, Sigmon chose a firing squad as he believed it would be a less painful end.
On the day of his execution, March 8, 2025, Sigmon was restrained in a chair at the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ death chamber. With a hood over his head and a target on his chest, three volunteer riflemen stood ready to carry out the sentence. Before the shots were fired at 6:05 pm, Sigmon’s lawyer read his final words, calling for compassion and an end to the death penalty, acknowledging his past ignorance.
Witnessed by three members of the Larke family and Sigmon’s spiritual advisor, the execution took place using .308 Winchester Tap Urban bullets. Despite ongoing debates about the level of pain inflicted by such ammunition, Sigmon’s final moments were marked by his chest rising and falling after the shots were fired.
