Who be di first US inmate dem execute by firing squad in 15 years

One South Carolina prison inmate wey chop accuse say e kill im ex-girlfriend parents wit baseball bat don become di first US death row inmate wey dem go execute by firing squad in di last 15 years.

Three state corrections department volunteers shoot Sigmon to death just afta 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday.

Na specially designed bullets dem take kill as dem shoot am for chest.

Sigmon, 67, chop conviction of killing David and Gladys Larke wit a baseball bat for 2001 bifor im kidnap im ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. She bin manage to escape as e shoot at her.

E bin request death by firing squad ova di oda two state-approved methods of execution: electric chair and lethal injection.

Dis story contain details of di execution, some of dem fit turn your belle

Chrysti Shain, of di South Carolina Department of Corrections, tok say doctor announce Sigmon death by 18:08.

Three members of di Larke family dey present to witness im death, she tok, as well as Sigmon spiritual adviser.

Dem strap Sigmon to chair, wey get basin underneath to catch blood, witnesses tok.

E tell witnesses say im want im final statement "to be one of love and call to my fellow Christians to help us end di death penalty".

"An eye for an eye bin dey used as justification to di jury for seeking di death penalty," e add.

"At dat time, I dey too ignorant to know how wrong e be. Why? Becos we no longer dey live under di Old Testament law but now we dey live under di New Testament."

Afta im final statement, dem place hood ova im head.

One curtain wey conceal three volunteers bin open at 18:01. At 18:05, di trio fire from 15ft (4.6m) away witout any countdown.

Jeffrey Collins, one reporter for di Associated Press news agency, tok for one news conference say Sigmon get red bullseye target wey dem place ova im heart.

Wen dem shoot am, im chest beat several times and fall, di reporter add.

One doctor perform exam wey take about 90 seconds, bifor dem declare say e don die.

Di 308 Winchester Tap Urban bullets wey dem use bin dey designed to break apart on impact and cause maximum damage. Medical experts don debate di amount of pain dem fit cause.

Anna Dobbins, one reporter for WHFF-TV, add say Sigmon bin wear black jump suit but im bare arms "flex" wen dem shoot am.

Dem fire all di shots at di same time, she tok, and witnesses no see di guns.

Prison guards also offer witnesses ear plugs to protect dia ears from di sound of di shots, one reporter for di Post and Courier newspaper tok.

Dem offer counselling services to any prison staff wey dey traumatised by di execution, Ms Shain tok.

Sigmon lawyer, Bo King, don dey hope for last-minute stay of execution by di South Carolina govnor and accuse di state of withholding information about di lethal injection process.

"Brad only want assurances say dis drugs neva expire, or diluted, or spoil - wetin any of us go wan know about di medication wey we wan take, or di food we chop, much less di means of our death," e tok for one statement afta Sigmon death.

King tok say im client dey suffer from mental illness, and di friendships wey im form in prison na proof of im rehabilitation.

"Brad for im last meal, ask make dem get am three buckets of original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken so e go fit share wit di guys wey dem lock for prison wit am on death row," e tell WYFF-TV on Friday.

"Wit im last meal, im wan share somtin special wit dem," e tok, and later tell reporters say dem deny am di request.

Officials later confam say im meal na four pieces of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes wit gravy, biscuits, cheesecake and sweet tea. Dem serve am on on Wednesday evening.

Di case

Dem charge Sigmon wit murder for 2001 afta investigators tok say e kill im ex-girlfriend parents for dia house for Greenville County, e beat dem wit one bat.

E also tell detectives say im bin dey plan to harm im ex-girlfriend bifor she escape.

"I no fit have her. I no go allow anybody else have her," e tell dem.

No South Carolina govnor don grant mercy to any inmate wey dey face execution since di US legalise death penalty again for 1976, according to di Death Penalty Information Center.

How common death by firing squad dey for South Carolina?

South Carolina don spend $54,000 (£41,841) to build dia firing squad area for 2022 as suppliers refuse to provide prison officials wit di lethal chemicals wey dey needed for death by injection.

Di 2023 law now dey protect many details about di lethal injection procedure, including di names of suppliers and di exact contents.

Dem dey electrocute most of di inmates dem dey sentence to death for di state, but di three most recent executions bifor Sigmon own na by injections wey include pentobarbital.

Dem declare di three men dead 20 minutes afta dem give dem di injection, though e be like say dem stop to dey breathe afta few minutes.

Di lack of information about dis executions don attract criticism for im lack of transparency.

"Dis ban no only further depart from di state history of making execution-related information publicly available but e criminalise di disclosure of dis information by anyone for any reason," Di ACLU bin argue fir dia legal complaint.

"It thus silences di scientists, doctors, journalists, former correctional officials, lawyers, and citizens wey don scrutinize di safety, efficacy, morality, and legality of South Carolina use of lethal injection."

Sigmon bin express concern about di effectiveness of lethal injection.

South Carolina don release only one of two available autopsies from dis deaths, wey Sigmon lawyer say show unusual amounts of fluid for di pesin lungs.

Speaking about di decision not to die by injection, Sigmon attorney tell AP: "E no wish to inflict dat pain on im family, di witnesses, or di execution team. But, given South Carolina unnecessary and unconscionable secrecy, Brad dey choose as best e fit."

Nationally, na only three pipo don die by firing squad since 1976 - Sigmon execution make am four.

Bifor Sigmon execution, anti-death penalty protesters bin hold rally outside di jail in di city of Columbia.

Dem hold signs wey tok say "all life dey precious" and "thou shalt not kill".

South Carolina bin pass one law for 2023 wey require say di identities of di execution team members gatz remain secret.