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Mikal Mahdi

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Mikal Mahdi

Mikal Deen Mahdi (March 20, 1983 – April 11, 2025) was an American convicted spree killer who was executed for the murder of a police officer in South Carolina. Over a period of three days in July 2004, Mahdi, then a resident of Virginia, went on a multistate crime spree, committing carjacking, firearm robbery, and three murders, two of which he was tried for and found guilty. Mahdi fled the state after murdering a man in Brunswick County, Virginia, following a drug deal gone wrong. Although Mahdi confessed to that crime, he was never tried because of his two later murder convictions. Mahdi then robbed and killed a 29-year-old convenience store clerk, Christopher Jason Boggs, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 15, 2004. Two days after the murder of Boggs, Mahdi carjacked a man and stole his car in Columbia, South Carolina, before fleeing to a local farm in Calhoun County, South Carolina, where he murdered 56-year-old off-duty police officer James Myers, whose body was doused in diesel fuel and burned by Mahdi. Mahdi went on the run for about four days before he was arrested in Florida on July 21, 2004, and extradited back to South Carolina to be charged with the fatal shooting of Myers. Mahdi was convicted of the murder and other charges in South Carolina and sentenced to death in 2006. After his extradition to North Carolina for trial, Mahdi was sentenced to life without parole in 2011 for the murder of Boggs. On April 11, 2025, Mahdi was executed by firing squad—the second in South Carolina and the fifth in the United States to undergo a firing squad execution since 1976.

Infobox

Born
(1983-03-20)March 20, 1983Virginia, U.S.
Died
April 11, 2025(2025-04-11) (aged 42)Broad River Correctional Institution, South Carolina, U.S.
Criminal status
Executed by firing squad
Convictions
mw- Virginia Assault South Carolina Murder Second-degree burglary Grand larceny North Carolina First-degree murder
Criminal penalty
Virginia 93 months' imprisonment, with 15 years' probation (assault) South Carolina Death (murder) 15 years' imprisonment (second-degree burglary) Ten years' imprisonment (grand larceny) North Carolina Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (first-degree murder)
Victims
3
Date
Virginia, North and South CarolinaJuly 14–17, 2004
Country
United States
Imprisoned at
Broad River Correctional Institution, South Carolina

Tables

· References › Cited sources
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Mikal Mahdi – South Carolina April 11, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Succeeded byStephen Corey Bryant – South CarolinaNovember 14, 2025
Executions carried out in South Carolina
Executions carried out in South Carolina
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Executions carried out in South Carolina
Preceded byBrad SigmonMarch 7, 2025
Preceded byBrad SigmonMarch 7, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Preceded byBrad SigmonMarch 7, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Mikal Mahdi April 11, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Succeeded byStephen StankoJune 13, 2025
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Executions carried out in the United States
Preceded byMichael Tanzi – FloridaApril 8, 2025
Preceded byMichael Tanzi – FloridaApril 8, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Preceded byMichael Tanzi – FloridaApril 8, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Mikal Mahdi – South Carolina April 11, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Succeeded byMoises Mendoza – TexasApril 23, 2025
Executions by firing squad in the United States
Preceded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
Mikal Mahdi – South Carolina April 11, 2025
Succeeded byStephen Corey Bryant – South CarolinaNovember 14, 2025
Executions carried out in South Carolina
Preceded byBrad SigmonMarch 7, 2025
Mikal Mahdi April 11, 2025
Succeeded byStephen StankoJune 13, 2025
Executions carried out in the United States
Preceded byMichael Tanzi – FloridaApril 8, 2025
Mikal Mahdi – South Carolina April 11, 2025
Succeeded byMoises Mendoza – TexasApril 23, 2025

References

  1. Some sources spell his full name as "Mikal Dean Mahdi".
  2. Court sources, however, stated that there were unspecified circumstances revolving around the discharge, which would hav
  3. Although it was reported widely that Myers was killed on July 17, 2004, it was also reported differently by some sources
  4. Before the Commonwealth of Virginia abolished capital punishment in 2021, those found guilty of murder under certain cir
  5. Under the state law of North Carolina, the offence of first-degree murder is punishable by the death penalty or life imp
  6. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/virginia-sheriff-james-woodley-mikal-mahdi-reporter/article_7cdf3393-a9cd-45fd-b641-80c09288c833.html
  7. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/news/local/years-awaiting-execution-four-men-with-ties-to-t-d-region-on-death-row/article_805a815b-9c4d-5090-ac93-706bbd4f1149.html
  8. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/news/a-malignant-heart-mahdi-sentenced-to-death-in-slaying-of-officer/article_9bee6f6a-852b-59e9-ac9f-eed78902369d.html
  9. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/news/virginia-man-gets-life-for-killing-nc-clerk/article_dd090704-26c8-11e1-87b4-001871e3ce6c.html
  10. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution-mikal-mahdi-brad-sigmon/article_a741f150-06bb-4e7e-8eb4-7bf98f199415.html
  11. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article304019686.html
  12. Mahdi v. Stirling [2021], 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  13. The Times and Democrat
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  14. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/09/firing-squad-execution-mikal-mahdi-south-carolina/82748747007/
  15. The Free Lance-Star
  16. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article229668324.html
  17. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/briefs/sc-supreme-court-declines-to-stop-upcoming-execution/
  18. The Robesonian
  19. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2024/08/02/after-sc-high-court-rules-executions-can-go-ahead-these-5-men-could-be-scheduled-to-die/
  20. Herald-Journal
  21. "UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 19-3"
    https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/193.p.pdf
  22. The Independent
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/south-carolina-columbia-supreme-court-dna-virginia-b2715396.html
  23. WISTV.com
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  24. WISTV.com
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  25. Herald-Journal
  26. WISTV.com
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  27. WISTV.com
    https://www.wistv.com/story/2075305/no-bond-for-murder-suspect-mikal-mahdi-in-calhoun-county/
  28. The Robesonian
  29. The Item
  30. WISTV.com
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  31. The Times and Democrat
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  32. Star-News
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  33. WISTV.com
    https://www.wistv.com/story/4354538/trial-delayed-for-man-charged-with-murdering-orangeburg-officer/
  34. The Times and Democrat
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  35. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/here-are-a-few-archived-articles-on-mikal-deen-mahdi/collection_ae5d9d0c-26c8-11e1-9354-001871e3ce6c.html#11
  36. The Item
  37. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/here-are-a-few-archived-articles-on-mikal-deen-mahdi/collection_ae5d9d0c-26c8-11e1-9354-001871e3ce6c.html#11
  38. WISTV.com
    https://www.wistv.com/story/5738634/suspect-pleads-guilty-to-killing-orangeburg-police-officer/
  39. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/here-are-a-few-archived-articles-on-mikal-deen-mahdi/collection_ae5d9d0c-26c8-11e1-9354-001871e3ce6c.html#11
  40. Herald-Journal
  41. The Times-News
  42. WISTV.com
    https://www.wistv.com/story/5787243/confessed-killer-gets-death-penalty-in-shooting-of-off-duty-orangeburg-officer/
  43. The Lewiston Tribune
  44. The Augusta Chronicle
    https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2006/12/10/met-107877-shtml/14739602007/
  45. The Index-Journal
    https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-index-journal-23-year-old-gets-death/117641407/
  46. Herald-Journal
  47. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/murdaugh-updates/murdaugh-cases-overseen-by-sc-judge-clifton-newman-who-rose-from-segregated-schools-to-bench/article_5362907c-285d-11ed-b179-b342b724b1dd.html
  48. Herald-Journal
  49. Winston-Salem Journal
    https://journalnow.com/article_4ad0ad88-4ac9-5cc9-be64-67b82794bed2.html
  50. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/news/local/killer-of-orangeburg-officer-found-guilty-of-2nd-murder/article_f950e068-26bd-11e1-af6b-0019bb2963f4.html
  51. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article14361632.html
  52. Corrections1
    https://www.corrections1.com/products/body-armor/concealable-armor/articles/sc-officer-stabbed-multiple-times-by-2-death-row-inmates-nV89DERWIodFsxTk/
  53. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/archives/assaulted-lieber-prison-guard-loses-job-corrections-officer-stabbed-times/article_1b8403dc-b5a8-5ed3-85f1-98f4b46d920d.html
  54. live5news.com
    https://www.live5news.com/story/11612250/guard-stabbed-by-death-row-inmates-being-treated-at-musc/
  55. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-death-row-quincy-allen-life-3aadb361f5eeb753a97a5c1286b40a1a
  56. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/sc-high-court-upholds-death-for-cop-killer-from-va/article_d5914281-af41-5a2e-98d4-32412753ceec.html
  57. Mahdi v. State [2009], South Carolina Supreme Court (United States).
  58. The Augusta Chronicle
    https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2009/06/16/met-527740-shtml/14632389007/
  59. The Times and Democrat
    https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-and-democrat-madhi7/101039137/
  60. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/supreme-court-of-the-united-states-7e324cc30b754feea0b636040adc4af0
  61. Mahdi v. Stirling [2017], U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (United States).
  62. Mahdi v. Stirling [2018], U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (United States).
  63. The Times and Democrat
    https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-and-democrat-madhi9/101739463/
  64. "Search - Supreme Court of the United States"
    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-5536.html
  65. Mahdi v. Stirling [2023], U.S. Supreme Court (United States).
  66. Owens v. Stirling [2023], South Carolina Supreme Court (US).
  67. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-south-carolina-39930569f7ed5182f6ce9866916714aa
  68. "South Carolina wants to resume executions with firing squad and electric chair, says "instantaneous or painless" death not mandated"
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-executions-firing-squad-electric-chair-lethal-injection/
  69. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article292426359.html
  70. Anderson Independent-Mail
    https://www.newspapers.com/article/anderson-independent-mail-misc/101032365/
  71. "New law makes inmates choose electric chair or firing squad"
    https://apnews.com/article/sc-state-wire-government-and-politics-d5fb523db482da233e1f081a63a80cf4
  72. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/sc-state-wire-government-and-politics-d5fb523db482da233e1f081a63a80cf4
  73. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-south-carolina-lethal-injection-418b9f5ef6e5e4257458fab60b2df3c5
  74. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/31/south-carolina-death-penalty-electric-chair-firing-squad-lethal-injection
  75. "South Carolina Supreme Court rules state death penalty including firing squad is legal"
    https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/31/us/south-carolina-death-penalty-firing-squad-legal/index.html
  76. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article291719310.html
  77. "South Carolina executes first inmate in 13 years"
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9j1311kzko
  78. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/01/richard-moore-south-carolina-death-penalty
  79. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2024/08/28/executions-in-sc-would-continue-monthly-until-at-least-march-under-ags-suggested-timeline/
  80. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2024/08/30/sc-supreme-court-will-wait-five-weeks-between-execution-notices-sets-order-for-next-to-die/
  81. Greenville News
    https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/crime/2024/08/30/south-carolina-high-court-ruling-lists-order-death-row-inmate-executions/75016911007/
  82. CNN.com
    https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/20/us/freddie-owens-south-carolina-execution/index.html
  83. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-richard-moore-clemency-e3e74f9309ec23eab220d93b7b0dfc29
  84. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-holiday-pause-6f6db600ddd72afde3b7e72cbd53b320
  85. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2024/11/11/death-row-inmates-ask-for-pause-in-executions-over-winter-holiday/
  86. The Mirror
    https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/prisoners-death-row-request-pause-800837
  87. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2024/11/14/no-more-executions-until-january-sc-supreme-court-decides/
  88. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/south-carolina-prisoner-execution-order-break-pause-winter-holiday/article_9788d434-a2c0-11ef-926d-43f4fcc1e551.html
  89. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-executions-holiday-pause-da44d92b5c846475880e91e487c79655
  90. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-marion-bowman-lethal-injection-6ea9748c15f815e01249b6d706b0fb7e
  91. The Straits Times
    https://www.straitstimes.com/world/south-carolina-carries-out-first-firing-squad-execution-in-us-in-15-years
  92. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/execution-south-carolina-mikel-mahdi-8d0ca5a6dab1af35bea2f80ef6f6ca50
  93. The Times and Democrat
    https://thetandd.com/article_aae41461-885a-5388-93f4-c5b34b045d5c.html
  94. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2025/03/14/5th-death-row-inmate-scheduled-for-execution-another-receives-a-pause/
  95. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/mikal-mahdi-execution-sc-death-row-deputy-myers/article_010773d0-fe19-11ef-af3a-5bd903f396a7.html
  96. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/news/steven-bixby-mental-competence-abbeville-greenville/article_45427c42-dc63-428d-b42a-d6390790faa1.html
  97. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/28/second-south-carolina-firing-squad-execution
  98. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/execution-south-carolina-mikal-mahdi-6edc3f2773bb1191d2d011513daf7849
  99. The State
    https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article303006084.html
  100. CNN.com
    https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/28/us/mikal-mahdi-sc-firing-squad-execution/index.html
  101. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-mikal-mahdi-b53aa588397b4664a63ba09d44cea5e4
  102. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2025/03/18/sc-death-row-inmates-attorneys-ask-court-to-halt-execution-over-traumatic-childhood/
  103. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2025/03/28/second-sc-death-row-inmate-chooses-to-die-by-firing-squad/
  104. "Another South Carolina death row inmate chooses to die by firing squad 40 days after first execution"
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-firing-squad-second-death-row-inmate/
  105. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution-mikal-mahdi-2c470315f60ccef35bc702f9551d2b29
  106. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/mikal-mahdi-sc-execution-orangeburg-police/article_24b6ed40-3e7c-4bfa-8a5e-34f9ba97c2b6.html
  107. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/10/south-carolina-execution-firing-squad-mikal-mahdi
  108. South Carolina Daily Gazette
    https://scdailygazette.com/2025/04/11/u-s-supreme-court-declines-to-halt-scs-second-firing-squad-execution/
  109. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/11/mikal-mahdi-execution-south-carolina
  110. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/mikal-mahdi-victims-jim-myers-south-carolina-execution/article_e1ac89c5-9be7-4b20-b6cf-1750bc1d716b.html
  111. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/11/mikal-mahdi-execution-firing-squad-south-carolina/83048661007/
  112. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/us/south-carolina-execution-firing-squad.html
  113. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/08/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution
  114. apnews.com
    https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-mikal-mahdi-25466963350812080385524ccc3a9298
  115. The Post and Courier
    https://www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/mikal-mahdi-execution-sc-firing-squad-myers/article_d90107fa-17ba-4d2e-b012-67e09dca48e8.html
  116. "South Carolina man who killed an off-duty police officer is executed by firing squad"
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/south-carolina-firing-squad-mikal-mahdi-rcna200963
  117. "South Carolina executes second man by firing squad in 5 weeks"
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-executes-mikal-mahdi-firing-squad/
  118. UPI.com
    https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/04/11/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution-inmate-death-penalty/5891744385243/
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