A convicted double murderer who brutally killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents made a chilling statement before facing his death sentence on death row. Brad Keith Sigmon, aged 67, met his end by a firing squad in South Carolina, US, following the gruesome slayings. The tragic incident occurred after Sigmon broke into the home of David and Gladys Larke in Greenville County, enraged by the breakup with their daughter, Rebecca Barbare. The couple had been together for about three years, residing in a trailer park close to David and Gladys’ residence. After a night of heavy drinking and drug use, Sigmon informed a friend of his intentions to retaliate against Rebecca for leaving him and harm her parents, as per court records.
Equipped with a baseball bat, he viciously assaulted both victims, striking each of them nine times on the head during the tragic events of 2001. Testimony from the 2002 trial revealed that David’s skull was nearly split in half. Subsequently, Sigmon seized David’s firearm and attempted to force Rebecca into a vehicle, but she managed to escape as he fired gunshots in her direction.
Following the incident, Sigmon fled, prompting an extensive 11-day manhunt that concluded in Tennessee. He received his death sentence in 2002 and spent years on death row until early March 2025. Opting for death by firing squad, Sigmon expressed fear that the electric chair would cause him excruciating pain, according to his legal representative.
On the day of his execution, March 8, 2025, Sigmon was secured in a chair within the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ death chamber. His head was veiled, a target was placed on his chest, and a screen concealed the three volunteer marksmen standing nearby. A basin was positioned beneath the chair to collect any stray blood.
Just before the shots were fired at 6:05 pm, Sigmon’s final words were recited by his attorney. He conveyed a message of love and urged fellow Christians to support the abolition of the death penalty, acknowledging his past ignorance. Three members of the Larke family, along with Sigmon’s spiritual counselor, were present as witnesses. Following the shots, Sigmon’s chest rose and fell several times, with .308 Winchester Tap Urban bullets used in the execution. The level of pain inflicted by these bullets on victims remains a subject of ongoing debate among experts.