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South Carolina firing squad ‘botched’ execution of cop killer Mikal Mahdi as bullets missed heart, left him alive ‘longer than was intended’
NY Post ^ | 5/08/25 | Natalie O'Neill

Posted on 05/08/2025 7:24:07 PM PDT by Libloather

A South Carolina firing squad tried to shoot a convicted cop killer in the heart and missed in a “botched” execution that left him in “excruciating” pain as he bled out, according to an autopsy and experts.

Mikal Mahdi, 42 — who murdered a South Carolina police officer during a crime spree in 2004 — was shot to death by a three-person firing squad on April 11.

But an autopsy later revealed that none of the bullets hit his heart directly, and that his chest showed only two bullet wounds instead of three, according to a disturbing report by NPR.

The bullets that struck him injured his liver and other internal organs and allowed his heart to keep beating as he remained alive for roughly a minute, experts said.

“Mr. Mahdi did experience excruciating conscious pain and suffering for about 30 to 60 seconds after he was shot,” pathologist Dr. Jonathan Arden wrote in his analysis of the state autopsy.

Arden, who was hired by Mahdi’s lawyers to review the autopsy, added that Mahdi was “alive and reacting longer than was intended or expected.”

In July 2004, Mahdi went on a multi-state crime spree — committing carjacking, firearm robbery, and three murders, including that of 56-year-old off-duty police officer James Myers, who was shot at least eight times before his body was burned.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: banglist; crime; execution; firing; heart; killer; southcarolina
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To: FlingWingFlyer
all cop killers

I don't care whether the victim was a Citizen or a mere public servant ... murderers should be treated the same.

81 posted on 05/09/2025 4:05:07 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Libloather

Oopsies.

Next!

CC


82 posted on 05/09/2025 4:21:59 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: paulcissa

As a facility level armorer I can tell you that you ain’t kidding. Many of my conversations regarding firearms needing repair started with “he did what with it?”

CC


83 posted on 05/09/2025 4:26:55 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Some one had much the same thoughts — three guns, two wounds.

I recall for the post WW2 firing squads from a guy that did the job some, it was 3 or 5 guys with 03 Springfields and one of the guns would have a blank preloaded into it. The guys doing it were told — you might not ever get a live gun. And an officer with a 45 would put one into the former Nazi’s head soon after the squad fired.


84 posted on 05/09/2025 5:04:30 AM PDT by L,TOWM (An upraised middle finger is my virtue signal.)
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To: Libloather

Was it a DEI assembled firing squad? Nothing like diversity over competence when you need expert execution. Assembling amatures to do a professional job is a waste of bullets in this instance.

Karma.


85 posted on 05/09/2025 5:48:18 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: Libloather

he took a life on purpose, now his was taken= justice.

I wonder how long the cop he killed lived after injury? seconds, minutes?


86 posted on 05/09/2025 6:04:29 AM PDT by b4me (Pray, and let God change you. He knows better than you or anyone else, who He made you to be.)
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To: Libloather

Hire another shooter or two.


87 posted on 05/09/2025 6:06:16 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Why Catholics always voted wrong till very recently


88 posted on 05/09/2025 6:12:51 AM PDT by wardaddy (The Blob must be bled dry)
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To: Libloather

The interval between execution and death is irrelevant. The fact death was not instantaneous doesn’t matter

He’s dead. The sentence was executed.


89 posted on 05/09/2025 6:14:09 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Where is ZORRO when California so desperately needs him?)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

I was raised Catholic, drifted for decades, and later in life God sparked me to belief and desire to learn about and be grown by HIM. What I learned is His Word supersedes all denominations, because people created denominations (pride, thinking they know better than the word of God or the word needed their additions, most don’t teach full bible - only parts supporting their denominational agenda)

Jesus said live by the laws of the land you are in, our laws say if a person takes a life, their life may be required in justice and protection of society. Capital punishment is not done in hatred (a sin), but so that society is not burdened with release of likely repeat offender or housing for life a violent or unrepentant criminal.

Also how can you judge/say what would be most spiritually damaging to a person’s soul when maybe God assigned those people who carry out capital punishment to the role knowing they are spiritually strong enough to do it to protect society, AND that many of us would cower if we were tasked with doing it?

obviously God’s best is not for believers and unbelievers to live with constant threat of killers, thieves drug or other addicts and harmful people to prey on them routinely. Some facing death penalty do reconcile with God and see their death as amends for their crimes/sins, most I don’t think do and still profess innocence or unjust that they face death even if they took a life.

Most people incarcerated or not, some believers even, have not accepted conviction for their sins, by the Holy Spirit, and are still unwilling to have a change of heart and mind only God can do.

this man from the article shot a cop multiple times and burned the body. He acted on purpose. Hopefully he got right with God prior to execution.


90 posted on 05/09/2025 7:21:48 AM PDT by b4me (Pray, and let God change you. He knows better than you or anyone else, who He made you to be.)
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To: Libloather

I’m having a cheeseburger for lunch.


91 posted on 05/09/2025 7:55:06 AM PDT by paddles ("The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates." Tacitus)
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To: Libloather

I don’t know how I’ll be able sleep tonight...

/sarc


92 posted on 05/09/2025 7:59:11 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: Libloather

What is the whining about? He is dead isn’t he? Then it WORKED! Needed to be done 20 years earlier.


93 posted on 05/09/2025 8:04:22 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( )
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To: Libloather

If he had olny self declared as a dog.

It would have been over quick!


94 posted on 05/09/2025 9:02:28 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (Running Rampant, and not endorsing nonsense; My pronoun is EXIT. And I am generally full of /S)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

>I think all cop killers should experience a little pain and suffering. It’s good for the soul.

I’m sure there was no such correlation in the minds of those who comprised the firing squad.


95 posted on 05/09/2025 9:28:50 AM PDT by No.6
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To: Libloather
Need bigger bullets. NEXT!

Or head shots.

96 posted on 05/09/2025 9:53:24 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE fSPEECH! )
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To: Libloather
Need bigger bullets. NEXT!

Or head shots.

97 posted on 05/09/2025 9:53:24 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE fSPEECH! )
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To: rfp1234

Better marksmanship from the corrections officers. Would go a long way towards this never happening again.


98 posted on 05/09/2025 2:06:45 PM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (Treason is the reason for Democrat Sedition & subvertion )
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To: DesertRhino

Reminds me of a Tom Clancy rainbow 6 book where they shot the bad guy in the liver so he would suffer.🤔


99 posted on 05/11/2025 10:23:14 AM PDT by BiteYourSelf ( Earth first, we'll strip mine the other planets later.)
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