An inmate executed by firing squad in South Carolina last month, Mikal Mahdi, allegedly suffered extreme pain due to misfired bullets, with forensic pathologist Dr. Jonathan Arden claiming the execution was a “massive botch” and violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Mahdi, convicted for the 2004 murders of a police officer and a convenience store clerk, only sustained two bullet wounds instead of the required three, leading to prolonged consciousness and suffering. The case raises significant legal questions about the humane nature of firing squad executions and challenges the precedent set in Owens v. Stirling.
