Mikal Mahdi’s execution in South Carolina in April 2026 has drawn renewed scrutiny after an autopsy reportedly raised questions about whether the firing squad struck its intended target. Mahdi, a death row inmate, was executed by three riflemen, but the post-mortem examination identified only two chest wounds, and neither appeared to have directly struck his heart. Instead, the bullets damaged his liver and other internal organs, potentially allowing his heart to continue beating as he suffered internal bleeding. Forensic pathologist Dr. Carl Wigren, who reviewed the autopsy findings for NPR, said the injuries would not have caused immediate death. Mahdi’s attorneys later challenged the execution, arguing that the medical evidence suggested he experienced significant pain after the shots were fired. Their independent expert, Dr. Jonathan Arden, concluded that Mahdi may have remained conscious and suffered for approximately 30 to 60 seconds. Those findings raised difficult questions about whether the execution unfolded as state officials had expected and whether the method delivered the rapid death its defenders had described.

The uncertainty surrounding Mahdi’s final moments has also focused attention on the evidence collected after the execution. His attorney, David Weiss, questioned why the documentation was less extensive than records from the earlier firing-squad execution of Brad Sigmon in March 2026. According to reports, Mahdi’s autopsy materials lacked several photographs and other forensic records that could have helped investigators determine precisely what happened. Questions remain about why three rifles reportedly fired but only two chest wounds were identified, including whether two bullets could have passed through the same opening. Witness accounts added to the concern: reporters and Mahdi’s attorney described him crying out, groaning, and continuing to breathe after the shots. These observations, alongside the medical findings, became central to his lawyers’ argument that the execution had gone seriously wrong. South Carolina introduced firing squads as an execution option in 2021, alongside lethal injection and electrocution, and its Supreme Court upheld the state’s methods in 2024. However, Mahdi’s case has intensified debate over execution procedures, medical oversight, and transparency. His legal team said he had authorized the release of the autopsy findings in hopes that a clearer account of his death could help prevent similar concerns in future executions.