Idaho Becomes Sole U.S. State to Designate Firing Squad as Preferred Execution Method
Idaho Governor Brad Little has recently signed a bill that designates the firing squad as the preferred method of execution for capital punishment. This makes Idaho the only state in the United States to have such a provision, with the new law set to take effect next year.
The decision comes just days after Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old man from South Carolina, was executed by a firing squad for the 2001 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. Sigmon was pronounced dead approximately three minutes after being shot by three volunteer prison employees, marking the first use of the firing squad method in the country in 15 years.
According to the Idaho Statesman, the state currently has nine prisoners on death row, although no executions have been carried out in over a dozen years. However, last year, the state faced difficulties in executing Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S. Medical personnel struggled to establish an IV line for the lethal injection, despite trying for nearly an hour.
The bill, which had the support of over two-thirds of the Republican-controlled legislature, not only designates death by firing squad as the preferred method but also maintains lethal injection as a backup option. Fox News Digital has reached out to Governor Little’s office for comment.
This is not the first time Idaho has considered the use of firing squads. In 2023, Governor Little signed a law making the firing squad the backup method for execution, although at the time he expressed a preference for lethal injection. Idaho became the fifth state in the country to legalize this practice, following Utah, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
Representative Bruce Skaug, the sponsor of the bill, previously advocated for legislation that reintroduced the firing squad as a backup option to lethal injection. Skaug argued that the failed execution attempt of Creech last year highlighted the problems associated with the lethal injection method.
The recent legalization of the firing squad as an execution method could potentially impact the eight current death row inmates in Idaho, as well as the upcoming trial of Bryan Kohberger, a suspect in the University of Idaho college murders. Prosecutors have stated that they will seek the death penalty for Kohberger if he is convicted. His trial is scheduled for later this year, and he faces charges of first-degree murder and felony burglary.
In conclusion, Idaho’s decision to designate the firing squad as the preferred method of execution has attracted attention nationwide. It highlights the ongoing debate surrounding capital punishment and the various methods used across different states. The future implications of this decision remain to be seen, especially for Idaho’s current and future death row inmates.
