Tag: LAD Bible Weird

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

The bodies of three sisters who were pulled from the sea in Brighton had taken their own lives, an inquest has heard.

Sussex Police identified the women as sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, after their bodies were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive on 13 May.

An inquest has heard how the day before, they had visited the lake where their mother had died in Birmingham years earlier.

The body of Janice Adetoro, the mother of the three victims, was recovered from a lake in 2010.

They arrived at Linton Walk, Birmingham, near to Brookvale Park Lake, at 11.36pm on May 11 and were picked up to return to the flat they lived in together in Greenford, west London, at 1.28am on May 12.

On the evening of May 12, they took a pre-booked taxi to Brighton and arrived near the seafront at 10.21pm. They are thought to have last been seen alive on CCTV from the beach at 2.42am on May 13.

Sussex Police said there was no evidence to suggest criminality or that anyone else was involved.

After the incident, detectives said they were working to gather the full facts and circumstances around their deaths, with hundreds of hours of CCTV footage being reviewed and inquiries made to establishments around the beach area.

Ms Adetoro had been brought to shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene on the morning of May 13, the inquest was told.

Christina Walters was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed on to the shore of Brighton beach.

They were also pronounced dead that morning by paramedics, as the entire beach was closed off by emergency crews for investigations to take place.

Sussex Police previously said there was ‘no evidence’ the women came to harm by any individuals.

“Based on all of the evidence currently available, our investigation has concluded that all three entered the water near to where their bodies were found, and sadly died,” a statement read.

Concluding the inquest into their deaths, senior coroner Penelope Schofield told the court on Thursday (8 October): “On May 13, in hours of darkness, they entered the sea at Brighton, they could not swim and sea conditions were adverse.”

She concluded the medical cause of death for all three women was drowning and that they died by suicide.

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, of Sussex Police previously said: “Our priority throughout has been uncovering the truth for the loved ones of Jane, Rebecca and Christina, because at this incident’s core there has always been a grieving family coming to terms with an unthinkable tragedy and loss.

“Jane, Rebecca and Christina’s tragic deaths sparked a national outpouring of grief, and I would like to thank everyone who supported our investigation by coming forward with information.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.

A medical doctor advising Christa Pike’s legal team has said the 50-year-old has been removed from a ventilator and can now speak.

Following two failed attempts by the State of Tennessee to execute Pike via lethal injection, the convicted murderer was rushed to hospital to receive life-saving care.

Dr Joel Zivot, a medical professional assisting Pike’s team, has shared an update on her condition with PEOPLE and his thoughts on what her recovery will look like.

“I was told yesterday that she had recovered sufficiently that she was able to be removed from her mechanical ventilator and was able to speak,” he said, adding that she does not remember her execution at the moment but noted that her ‘memories may continue to evolve’.

When it comes to her recovery, Zivot noted that it was too soon to share a prognosis for Pike, but said that her current condition puts her in a ‘good position’ going forward.

“I think it’s still early, critically ill patients tend to move in a variety of ways,” he said.

“The fact she is doing something now puts her in good position, but I wouldn’t suggest it’s smooth sailing from here and there won’t be any residual impact.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Farrell, one of Pike’s lawyers, revealed to Radio 4 that she is now ‘up and walking’ for the first time since the execution.

“She is up and walking for the first time today, just around the room, not very far,” he said, adding that her arms are still ‘very injured’ from the failed attempts to insert IV lines, meaning that she can’t ‘use them very much’.

Zivot previously revealed that Pike was able to communicate in a basic way with those around her, but seemed confused about the fact that we were now in October.

Her first words are reported to have been: “Where am I and who are you?”

Pike’s attorney Randy Spivey previously said that his client has a ‘long road to recovery’, telling reporters that she had a ‘blood clot in one of her arms’ as well as ‘pneumonia’.

“She is not able to swallow yet, so she has not eaten,” he added.

READ MORE: All of the failed lethal injection executions in the last decade

Why was Christa Pike on death row and what happens next?

Christa Pike received the death sentence after being convicted of the 1995 murder of her Job Corps classmate Colleen Slemmer.

Pike, her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and their friend Shadolla Peterson lured Slemmer to an isolated part wooded area in Knoxville. Pike and Shipp then beat Slemmer to death while Peterson acted as a lookout for the couple.

Shipp was sentenced to life in prison as he was only 17 and therefore not eligible for the death penalty, while Peterson received probation after becoming a witness for the prosecution.

It’s not currently clear whether or not the state of Tennessee will attempt to execute Pike again at a later date. Executions in the state have currently been paused while an investigation is carried out.

Death row inmate Jamaal Howard has been executed in Texas.

Howard has become the 30th person to be executed in the US this year, and the first since Christa Pike’s failed attempt in Tennessee.

Howard, 46, was pronounced dead at 8.03pm local time after receiving a fatal dose of pentobarbital at the state prison in Huntsville.

He was sentenced to death for the 2000 murder of Vickie Swartout during an attempted robbery.

Howard was said to be ‘chatty’ during the 45-minute journey from death row to the Huntsville Unit where executions are carried out.

Amanda Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said: “He made small talk with the officers through the whole trip.”

Once inside, he was taken to a holding cell inside the death chamber, with Hernandez saying: “He was asking questions and was very engaged in the process.”

Earlier today, his legal team had unsuccessfully tried to block the execution, claiming that Howard was intellectually disabled and raising concerns about the use of pentobarbital – the same drug that had been used in Pike’s execution attempt on 30 September.

A One filing from his team read: “Ms. Pike survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital, the same drug used in executions in Texas, and she reportedly remains hospitalised in critical condition.

“When an execution goes wrong, one of the first questions anyone asks is whether the drug was what the State said it was.

“Tennessee’s own officials cannot yet answer that, and the answer lies in records: when the drug was bought, from whom, how it was stored, and what testing was done and when. Texas should not wait until after a failed execution to ask the same questions.

“We do not know why Ms. Pike’s execution failed, and we, specifically, do not know whether the failure was due to the pentobarbital’s being ineffective.”

Jamaal Howard ‘did not understand’ how the execution would work

According to his spiritual advisor Reverend Jeff Hood, at trial, psychiatrists determined that Howard’s IQ is in the the 65-70 range, while they described him as functioning at the level of an 11 or 12-year-old.

Writing in the Texas Observer ahead of the execution, Hood claimed that Howard ‘didn’t understand how executions were carried out’ and that he had not heard of the Pike case or the media storm surrounding it.

He said that when he told Howard that at Pike’s execution the drugs didn’t work, he matter-of-factly replied: “I guess if the drugs don’t work, they’ll just shoot me in the head.”

He said that he told Howard that executions didn’t work like that but claimed he ‘literally had no understanding of the protocol by which he was going to be executed or what would happen if something went wrong’.

An update on Christa Pike following her botched lethal injection

Pike’s legal team have confirmed that she is now ‘conscious and speaking’ following her botched execution attempt last month.

READ MORE: All of the failed lethal injection executions in the last decade

In a new update earlier today, her team said that she could remember her name but when asked the date she still believed it was September.

Dr Joel Zivot, the anaesthesiologist advising her team, shared more details on her condition.

“She has some memories of being in the hospital but no memory, I believe, of the execution attempt,” he told the BBC.

Tennessee has paused all upcoming executions

In the wake of her execution attempt, Tennessee has announced that all further planned executions be halted until an investigation into the matter is carried out.

A statement issued by the Tennessee Department of Correction said that they ‘followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office.’

“The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the state’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office,” the statement said.

“The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening. Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility.”

The incident also led to the resignation of Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada.

Strada will leave his role this month after being the residing commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Correction for the past three years, and also in the role when the May execution of Tony Carruthers, was called off due to problems finding a vein for his lethal injection.

Jamaal Howard used his final words to apologise to his victim’s family before telling the prison warden he was ‘ready’.

Howard, 46, was pronounced dead at 8:03pm local time after receiving a fatal dose of pentobarbital at Texas’s Huntsville Unit.

He was sentenced to the death penalty for the 2000 murder of Vickie Swartout during an attempted robbery.

Howard, who was 20 at the time, fatally shot store clerk Swartout in the chest before taking $114 and a carton of cigarettes, court documents show.

Once in the chamber, Howard issued a final statement apologising to the family of Swartout.

“I wish that you accept my apology and I wish for your forgiveness,” he said, shortly before the injection got underway.

“I’m sorry for what happened. I wish you can learn to forgive me one of these days.”

He then said to the warden: “Warden, that’s it. I’m ready Warden.”

Prior to being executed, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said Howard had been ‘chatty’ with staff during the 45-minute journey from death row to the Huntsville Unit where executions are carried out.

Spokesperson Amanda Hernandez said: “He made small talk with the officers through the whole trip.”

Once inside, he was taken to a holding cell inside the death chamber.

“He was asking questions and was very engaged in the process,” Hernandez said.

Earlier today, his legal team tried unsuccessfully to have the execution blocked, claiming Howard was intellectually disabled and had a history of mental illness.

At his trial, psychiatrists found that Howard had an IQ in the 65-70 range, and described him as functioning at the level of an 11 or 12-year-old.

In an article published in The Texas Observer ahead of the execution, Howard’s spiritual advisor Reverend Jeff Hood claimed that the inmate ‘didn’t understand how executions were carried out’ and that he was not aware of the Pike case.

Hood wrote that when he informed him about Pike and explained that the drugs hadn’t worked during her execution, Howard replied: “I guess if the drugs don’t work, they’ll just shoot me in the head.”

The Reverend went on to say that he then explained to Howard that executions didn’t work like that but claimed he ‘literally had no understanding of the protocol by which he was going to be executed or what would happen if something went wrong’.

His lawyers also raised concerns about the use of pentobarbital – the same drug that had been used in Pike’s execution attempt on 30 September.

One filing delivered to the court, read: “Ms. Pike survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital, the same drug used in executions in Texas, and she reportedly remains hospitalised in critical condition.

“When an execution goes wrong, one of the first questions anyone asks is whether the drug was what the State said it was.

“Tennessee’s own officials cannot yet answer that, and the answer lies in records: when the drug was bought, from whom, how it was stored, and what testing was done and when. Texas should not wait until after a failed execution to ask the same questions.

“We do not know why Ms. Pike’s execution failed, and we, specifically, do not know whether the failure was due to the pentobarbital’s being ineffective.”

In the wake of Pike’s failed attempt, the state of Tennessee announced it was halting all planned executions until an investigation had been carried out.

In a statement released shortly after the botched attempt, the Tennessee Department of Correction said it had followed ‘every step’ of the standard protocol.

“The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the state’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office,” the statement said.

“The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening. Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility.”

The aunt of the death row killer who survived her execution Christa Pike has said she believes the failed lethal injections were all part of ‘God’s will’.

In the first interview given by a member of Pike’s family, her aunt Carrie Ross, who helped raise her and ‘loves her like a daughter,’ said she should not have to face execution a second time because ‘the Lord wants her to live’, reports the Daily Mail.

She said, “When God puts his hand on someone, God is in control.

“Not the Department of Correction, not us, but God.”

She revealed that she had not yet been allowed to speak with her niece and neither had her other relatives since she woke up and began to speak after being unconscious since the execution attempt on September 30.

Pike was rushed to hospital after being administered two doses of the lethal poison pentobarbital at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

She cannot eat or swallow, and both her arms are swollen, according to statements by her lawyers. She is reported to have blood clots in her arm and is suffering from pneumonia.

Her legal team revealed as recently as Monday they believed Pike was ‘brain dead’ and her life support would be switched off the following day.

However, on Tuesday, to their surprise, instead of being allowed to die, they learned Pike was ‘conscious, speaking’.

Her first words upon waking up were reportedly, “Where am I and who are you?”

She was due to become the first woman to be executed by Tennessee in over 200 years. Instead, she became the first person to survive execution after actually being given a lethal injection.

“Christa has a long road to recovery,” her attorney Randy Spivey said.

“She has a blood clot in one of her arms, she has pneumonia,” he added. “She is not able to swallow yet, so she has not eaten.”

Spivey said that Pike also suffered ‘extraordinary’ swelling to her hands, adding that they “looked like if you were to blow up a surgical glove.

“I do not have an explanation for what happened between Monday night and Tuesday morning.”

An anaesthesiologist who has advised Pike’s lawyers, Dr Joel Zivot, told the BBC that Pike “has some memories of being in the hospital but no memory, I believe, of the execution attempt.”

“It’s been up, down, up, down. I have cried more tears in the last week than I’ve cried in my whole life,” Ross said.

“This whole week has been a blur.”

Pike was sentenced to death by a court for the brutal 1995 torture and killing of her classmate Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville.

Pike was 18 at the time and the court which convicted her heard she was in a jealous rage when she committed the murder.

Her aunt argues that Pike’s death sentence should be commuted on the grounds ‘she has suffered enough’ and a second attempt would be ‘torture’.

“That would be horrible. Torture. Don’t do that to a human,” Ross said. “She has completed her execution. She went willingly.”

A gold statue of a naked Donald Trump atop the shoulders of another man has been unveiled in Strasbourg.

The statue, which stands at more than eight-feet tall, is titled The Orange Plague or The King of Injustice and is the work of Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt.

Finished in 23-carat gold leaf, the statue has been put on display at the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg.

The naked figure is holding an extra-long golf club in one hand and a small set of scales in the other, while a ball, designed to look like the world, lies on the ground in front of him.

Meanwhile, the poor bloke tasked with carrying Trump on his shoulders looks tired and worn out.

A card next to the piece, which is signed The King of Injustice, reads: “I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my burden. I would do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back.”

Galschiøt said he created the satirical piece, which was inspired by the old tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes, as a criticism of Trump’s climate policies.

“The sculpture is a satirical out-cry against Trump and the US assault on the green transition and the rule-based world order,” he said.

He said the artwork was not aimed at the parliament itself.

“It is about the attempts by the great powers to dominate, control and reshape the world according to their own interests. Trump is an extreme and very visible symbol of this development,” he said.

“I have made him naked and covered him in gold because sometimes satire can say things that political language cannot.”

The website for the piece states: “The sculpture is inspired by H. C. Andersen’s tale The Emperor’s New Clothes, in which a vain ruler parades naked, believing him-self dressed in the finest garments. The illusion — sustained by fear and flattery — endures until a child cries out, ‘He’s not wearing any clothes’ – and the emperor becomes a figure of ridicule.”

Visitors to the statue can also get their hands on their own mini version of the piece, known as ‘protest tokens’, which will be given away for free across the three-day exhibition.

Or if you have access to a 3D printer, you can make your own with the free files available on Galschiøt’s website.

As yet, it’s not known if Trump is aware of The Orange Plague and he hasn’t commented on its existence – but we can probably assume he won’t love it.

However, Per Clausen, the left-wing Danish MEP who invited the artist to display the sculpture, told Deutsche Welle he isn’t worried about any potential backlash from the POTUS.

He said: “If someone is so thin-skinned that they cannot tolerate this sculpture being exhibited in the European Parliament, then they have no place on the world stage.”

Galschiøt said he is ‘very excited’ to see how the exhibition is received by the ‘decision makers of Europe’ during its time on display.

Newly released bodycam footage captured the aftermath of a six-year-old boy shooting his school teacher in class.

Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner was shot in the chest by a first-grade pupil in Newport News, Virginia, in January 2023.

Bodycam footage from Officer Brian Torrez shows the six-year-old, who was identified only as J.T., verbally lashing out after the incident and threatening to fight cops.

The youngster can be heard asking the officers: “Both y’all want a f***ing piece of me, b***h?”

In the clip, educator Amy Kovac can be seen telling the boy to ‘stop’, after which he issued two expletives at her.

The 9mm Tarus handgun that J.T. used in the shocking incident can be seen on the floor just feet away from the boy.

Talking through a radio, another officer says: “We have the shooter.”

Kovac can then be heard telling the police that she told the assistant principal about a ‘threat’ earlier on in the day before confirming to one of the officers that the boy is just six-years-old.

“He has been on a modified schedule. His mother is to pick him up at 2:30. This is his first week without his mother coming to school with him,” Kovac says.

The young boy, who is being held on Kovac’s lap, continues to speak out saying that he ‘doesn’t care’ if he goes to jail and admitting he ‘stole’ the gun from his mother.

“I don’t care if you call back up, I don’t care if I go to jail, b***h,” he says.

The incident left Zwerner with broken bones and a punctured lung.

Zwerner later filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school’s assistant principal Ebony Parker, claiming she failed to address prior warnings from her and other teachers about the boy’s violent behaviour.

She was ordered to pay Zwerner $10 million in a gross negligence lawsuit.

Parker previously had criminal charges lodged against her over the shooting but they were dismissed in court.

Judge Rebecca Robinson dismissed the case, saying that Parker did not break the law.

She said: “If [Parker’s actions] are meant to amount to a crime, the legislature will need to codify it.

“Therefore, I do grant the defense motion to strike in full on all counts, all eight counts of felony child abuse and endangerment.”

Prior to the case being dismissed, Zwerner had testified about the shooting in court, saying that she had warned Parker about the boy’s ‘violent mood’ on the day of the incident.

Recalling the shooting, which left her with permanent injuries, Zwerner said: “I saw the student looking at me. I looked over. A gun was pointed right at me. He was holding a gun, the student. It was pointed right at me. And then I was shot.”

Zwerner was shot in the hand and the chest.

In a statment issued via her family, Zwerner has since said she has moved on from the shooting.

They said: “We are happy that this tragic event is behind Abby.

“As devastating as this shooting was, may it bring change to the education system in our country so that violent children are not placed in a general education classroom, and I hope that administrators are held accountable if this were to happen again for violent behaviour.”

The boy’s mother pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and was sentenced to two years in prison.

We may now be in the Pumpkin Spiced latte season, but the weather has certainly been saying otherwise.

Despite autumn being firmly upon us, the continuous warm temperatures throughout the UK are still baffling people online.

Flurries of posts on the likes of X and TikTok have been shared questioning how in some areas temperatures have reached high teens or even low 20s in recent days.

Temperatures throughout September remained around 20C, which followed in this year’s trend of the above-average forecasts in the UK.

Posts from Brits have included one which read: “Is no one concerned that its still 20c in October? Like why am i still able to leave the house without a jacket of any kind? Why has it been like this since March?”

Another meanwhile posted to X: “Alarming how warm it is in the UK in October. I mean it helps when we don’t have to turn heating on with the current gas prices though.”

Last month became the joint-fourth warmest September on record, which followed a blazing hot summer, with the UK basking in the second warmest June and second warmest July ever.

October has also so far shown no sign of letting up, with the dry and mild conditions certainly not going unnoticed.

The Met Office has told LADbible exactly why the start of October has felt warmer than normal, mainly due to air mass, but that it’s not actually quite as dramatic as we think and the dry conditions aren’t going to last.

Warmer air mass is causing impact

Stephen Dixon, Met Office spokesperson explained: “October has started warmer than average for the time of year, but not in a historically significant way.

“We’ve reached into the low 20s Celsius today while the average daily maximum temperature for this month is 13.1C.

“That being said, the natural variability of the UK climate means that we can indeed see temperatures into the 20s, even in October.

“The temperatures at the moment are largely down to a milder air mass over southern parts of the UK, helping to keep temperatures above average for the time of year.”

It comes amid concern over the El Niño weather event which is a warmer phase of global weather patterns that can drive more extreme weather alongside climate change.

This is set to cause drought in some areas, and could put the UK at a greater risk of a wet, stormy autumn.

Drought pressures will persist in some areas even if wetter conditions arrive, officials said, with climate change meaning the country is seeing an increase in both drought and flooding, which can happen simultaneously.

Asked about its impact on current weather, Stephen Dixon explained: “El Niño is one of a number of large-scale atmospheric drivers that influence weather patterns in UK and Europe.

“However, other atmospheric and oceanic factors will continue to play an important role in determining conditions over the coming months.

“It could lead to more wet and stormier conditions later in autumn and early winter, while it could also bring drier, cooler and more settled conditions later in the winter.

“However, no single weather event in the UK can be attributed to El Niño alone and much will depend on its interaction with other climate drivers.”

Conditions set to change

Despite the recent warmer conditions, there is set to be a change throughout this week.

The comfortable above-average temperatures will give way to cooler conditions spreading from the north, the Met Office has confirmed.

Wet and blustery weather will move across some northern parts of the UK and introduce chillier air later in the week.

In its outlook for the week, the forecaster explained: “Generally cloudy with spells of drizzly showers, although there may be some brighter spells in the afternoon, particularly in the south.

“A brisk breeze, particularly on coasts and hills, easing through the day. Feeling mild. Wednesday and Thursday will be bright with sunny spells and a cool, autumnal breeze.

“Showers most likely over mountains on Wednesday. A return to mild, unsettled weather on Friday.”

However looking ahead, the conditions are expected to change. From the middle of October, a series of ‘low pressure systems’ will run across the North Atlantic bringing bands of rain and strong winds.

“Whilst brief cooler interludes are possible, temperatures are likely to be a little above average in many areas for the period as a whole,” the Met Office added.

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of a former US Army major by firing squad, the Pentagon has announced.

Spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the commander-in-chief has given the green light for Nidal Malik Hasan to meet his grisly fate, nearly two decades after the devastating Fort Hood shooting.

It’s a controversial and uncommon method of execution in the US – and those who have watched one unfold have conflicting opinions on the humaneness of the process.

Hasan, 56, is one of four men on the military’s death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas – and Parnell said ‘judgement day has finally come’ for him.

On Tuesday (6 October), the Pentagon spokesperson shared a social media post explaining that both Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Trump have rubber stamped his pending execution.

Hasan’s scheduled death on 3 December will mark the first military execution since April 1961.

He was given the ultimate punishment in August 2013 by a military jury after he was found guilty of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder.

The former US Army psychiatrist, from Virginia, opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun at the Texas military base, Fort Hood, in November 2009. It left 13 soldiers dead and another 30 injured.

Hasan was left wheelchair-bound as he was partially paralysed due to a shootout with police who battled to subdue him during the mass shooting – and he is now set to soon meet a similar fate to his victims.

If the military execution goes ahead, his last moments will likely be extremely unpleasant.

The procedure is expected to be similar to those used by US states who put prisoners to death with a firing squad, such as Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.

It may be comparable to the execution of Brad Sigmon in South Carolina in March last year, which saw three officials open fire at him while aiming for a red bullseye target on his chest.

Witnesses described how they saw the double murderer strapped to a chair, which had a basin underneath it to catch blood, before a hood was then placed over his head.

A curtain that had concealed the firing squad was then opened, before shots were fired simultaneously at Sigmon.

A reporter for the Associated Press described observing his chest rise and fall several times after the bullets penetrated his body. It took 3 minutes for him to die after the first shot was fired.

How death by firing squad unfolded for Sigmon

Brutally, the bullets that were used are designed to break apart on impact and inflict maximum damage on the condemned inmate. Those who observe such executions are often given ear plugs to protect their ears.

As detailed by FOX Carolina News in wake of Sigmon’s death, he was strapped down to a metal chair that is bolted to the floor in the execution chamber at the Broad River Correctional Institution in South Carolina.

Those responsible for putting him to death were Department of Corrections employees who, interestingly, had volunteered for the macabre job.

The publication reported that there was a ‘portal’ in the wall of the execution chamber, which is where rifles that were each loaded with live ammunition were positioned, before the triggers were pulled from around 15ft (4.6m) away.

After the warden recited the execution order, bullets rained down on Sigmon, before a doctor pronounced him dead minutes later.

Although his method is perhaps more definitive that other methods such as the lethal injection, as demonstrated during Christa Pike’s botched execution last week, it apparently isn’t any easier to watch.

What witnesses have described

Reporters who saw Ronnie Lee Gardner be put to death by a firing squad in Utah in June 2010 gave chilling accounts of what happened in the moments after the trigger was pulled.

The killer explicitly wished to meet his fate this way and famously told the Deseret News in 1996: “I like the firing squad. It’s so much easier… and there’s no mistakes.”

He was pronounced dead approximately two minutes after a five-man firing squad unloaded at him from 25 feet (8m) away.

KSL5TV former reporter Sandra Yi explained that Gardner’s head was ‘restrained’ by officials during his execution, ensuring he could not budge.

“There was a strap across his forehead, so he couldn’t move his head,” she said press at the time, as per the Associated Press. “But I could see him moving his eyes…and it looked almost like he could see us through the window, even though he couldn’t. When he was shot, some of us I think weren’t sure if he had passed away because we could see movement.

“He had his fist clenched and we can see his elbow move up and down and his thumb and forefingers moving rubbing against each other.”

Others shared similar accounts, such as Pat Reavy from Deseret News, who recalled how Gardner ‘kept moving’ after the round of shots were fired at him.

The general consensus was that the firing squad got the job done efficiently, as KTVX-TV reporter Marcos Ortiz said: “What caught my attention was that it was so sudden, so quick. Boom, boom! Just like that.”

Sherly Worsely, reporting for KSL NewsRadio, concurred and described it as being ‘over pretty quickly’.

“It was cleaner than I expected and it was fast,” she said. “But he moved, he moved a little bit. And to some degree that bothers me and to some degree that mirrors the last few weeks of his life…because he was fighting to stay alive the last few weeks of his life, legally, and that seemed to carry on the last 60 to 120 seconds.”

In response to the news of Hasan’s execution date being set, Death Penalty Action – an organisation which opposes capital punishment – said: “There ​is nothing Donald Trump loves more than the power to kill.”