UPDATE: The United States has executed its first prisoner by firing squad in 15 years, marking a chilling return to this controversial method. On March 7, 2024, Brad Signmon, convicted of double murder, was shot dead in a historic yet harrowing event that has reignited discussions about the ethics of capital punishment.
This execution, taking place in Alabama, is only the fourth instance since the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. Despite the Eighth Amendment prohibiting “cruel and unusual punishment,” botched executions have reportedly become alarmingly common, with stories emerging of inmates enduring prolonged agony.
Reports indicate that executions gone wrong often lead to horrific scenes, including prisoners suffering for up to an hour, experiencing severe physical trauma such as “squirting blood” due to accidental artery cuts. In a new book by journalist Gianna Toboni, titled The Volunteer: The Failure of the Death Penalty in America and One Inmate’s Quest to Die with Dignity, chilling accounts of these botched executions are detailed, sparking outrage and concern.
“I’m human! I’m human! Don’t kill me!”
The book recounts the harrowing execution of David Lawson in 1994, where he screamed and thrashed as “cyanide gas rose about him” in North Carolina’s death chamber. Such torturous experiences have led to lethal injection becoming the preferred method in most states, despite its own history of failures.
In 2022 alone, it was dubbed the “year of the botched execution,” with at least seven incidents where the lethal injection did not proceed as planned. Notably, Thomas Creech, Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmate, had his execution halted in February 2024 after doctors struggled for over an hour to find a viable vein.
The case has gained attention as it was referenced by attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, arguing against the death penalty based on the trauma of execution methods. In a particularly gruesome incident from 2014, Clayton Lockett was executed in Oklahoma, with witnesses describing how he thrashed violently for 43 minutes after the drugs failed to work properly.
Former Utah state representative Paul Ray, who advocates for the firing squad, argues that society must grapple with the reality of the death penalty without “window-dressing” the brutality involved. He stated, “The whole situation of taking a life is not pretty… if you have the death penalty, you have to find a way to pull it off.”
The implications of these executions extend beyond legal frameworks to the very fabric of American society, raising questions about morality, justice, and the humanity of those involved in the death penalty process.
As this story develops, the ongoing debate surrounding the ethics of capital punishment and execution methods is likely to intensify. Watch for further updates on the public response and legislative actions in the wake of this alarming event.