Mikal Mahdi, sentenced to death in 2006 for the murder of an off-duty Orangeburg police captain, is seeking to halt his execution scheduled for April 11. His attorneys argue that his original defense was “superficial” and failed to present crucial mitigating evidence.
Mahdi’s crime spree spanned multiple states, including the murder of a North Carolina store clerk. However, his legal team now contends that his abusive childhood, mental health struggles, and prolonged solitary confinement shaped his reckless actions. They argue that his trial defense lasted only 30 minutes and failed to highlight his PTSD, depression, and severe childhood trauma.
Mahdi’s father, diagnosed with schizophrenia, subjected him to instability and paranoia, even forcing the family to live in the woods. Mahdi’s early years were marked by suicidal thoughts and a lack of education, culminating in his incarceration from a young age.
Despite an unsuccessful appeal in 2011, his attorneys cite new research on brain development and trauma’s impact on adolescent behavior to challenge his sentence. If executed, Mahdi will be the fifth person put to death since South Carolina resumed executions in 2024.
