South Carolina Announces Fifth Execution in Under Seven Months

COLUMBIA, S.C.—A man convicted of fatally shooting an off-duty police officer in South Carolina is set to become the fifth individual executed in the state since the death penalty was reinstated last fall after a 13-year hiatus.

Mikal Mahdi’s execution is scheduled for April 11 at 6 p.m. at a prison in Columbia, the state’s capital, as announced by the state Supreme Court on Friday.

The court has delayed a potential sixth execution, that of Steven Bixby, who murdered two police officers during a land dispute in Abbeville County back in December 2003. Bixby was originally slated for execution in May, but the court ruled that a judge must first assess his mental competency.

A psychologist indicated that Bixby comprehends the reasons behind his death sentence; however, he maintains the belief that blood found on his clothing from the night of the murders contains the DNA of Jesus Christ.

Mahdi, 41, has the option to select lethal injection, electrocution, or a firing squad for his execution. The firing squad was the choice made by Brad Sigmon, who on March 7 became the first inmate executed by gunfire in the U.S. in 15 years. Should Mahdi fail to make a selection by March 28, he will default to the electric chair.

Since September, three other inmates have received lethal injections: Freddie Owens on September 20; Richard Moore on November 1; and Marion Bowman Jr. on January 31.

String of Crimes Ending in Homicide

On July 14, 2004, at just 21 years old, Mahdi committed theft, taking a gun and a car in Virginia. The next day, he fatally shot a store clerk in North Carolina in the face while the clerk was verifying Mahdi’s ID. On July 17, 2004, he carjacked an individual at an intersection in Columbia, South Carolina.

After these crimes, Mahdi was on the run and eventually took refuge in the shed of public safety officer James Myers in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on July 18, 2004. Upon Myers’ return from a family birthday celebration, prosecutors claim Mahdi launched an ambush.

Myers, 56, sustained eight to nine gunshot wounds, including two to the head after collapsing. A pathologist testified that at least seven of these shots would have been lethal.

Mahdi then set fire to Myers’ body before fleeing the scene. Myers’ wife subsequently discovered her husband dead in the very shed that had once served as a backdrop for their wedding, less than 15 months earlier, authorities revealed.

He was apprehended on July 21, 2004, in Florida. An officer involved in his arrest expressed gratitude that Mahdi did not open fire, to which Mahdi replied that he didn’t believe he could successfully shoot at two officers and their dog while escaping.

During his time as a prisoner, Mahdi was caught three times possessing escape tools: one was an Allen wrench, and the others were improvised handcuff keys, one of which was discovered hidden in his mouth during his trial, according to court documents. While on death row, he assaulted a guard and struck another worker with a concrete block. Additionally, prison staff found sharpened metal objects in his cell that could serve as knives, according to records.

Mahdi’s Defense

During his trial, Mahdi’s attorneys emphasized that he was the second son of a woman who entered into an arranged marriage at the age of 16. His family portrayed a turbulent childhood; however, there were no allegations of abuse or mental illness, which are often present in other capital punishment cases.

Mahdi opted to plead guilty to murder and accepted sentencing from Judge Clifton Newman. The judge later stated to The Post and Courier that he was conflicted about his beliefs regarding the death penalty, but felt the case had transcended his personal perspective.

“Throughout my judicial career, I’ve aimed to balance justice with mercy and find the humanity in every defendant I sentence,” Newman stated as he delivered Mahdi’s sentencing. “Unfortunately, that sense of humanity appears to be absent in Mikal Deen Mahdi.”