Lawyers for executed murderer Mikal Mahdi claimed his execution was “botched” in a report filed with the South Carolina Supreme Court. Mahdi, who became the second prisoner executed by firing squad (see South Carolina Executes Murderer by Firing Squad – RedState) in South Carolina on April 11, allegedly did not die instantaneously. An AP report filed after the execution contended that he was alive for about two minutes after the fatal shots were fired.
He cried out as the shots hit him, and his arms flexed. A white target with the red bull’s-eye over Mahdi’s heart was pushed into the wound in his chest.
He groaned two more times about 45 seconds after that. His breaths continued for about 80 seconds before he appeared to take one final gasp.
A doctor checked him for a little over a minute, and he was declared dead at 6:05 p.m., less than four minutes…
