A South Carolina Family Grapples with Execution of Parents’ Killer 24 Years Later
The quiet life of Gladys and David Larke, pillars of their small-town South Carolina family, was brutally shattered on April 27, 2001. What remained was a legacy of love, hard work, and a profound sense of loss that continues to reverberate through their five children, grandchildren, and now, great-grandchildren. Their lives, marked by simple joys and unwavering devotion to family, were tragically cut short when one of their daughter’s ex-boyfriends, Brad Keith Sigmon, committed an unspeakable act of violence against them.
Gladys Larke, a homemaker known for her culinary prowess, cherished family celebrations, preferring to create elaborate home-cooked meals rather than dine out. Fried chicken, roasts, and macaroni and cheese were her specialties, ensuring that everyone at the table was well-fed and felt loved. Her husband, David Larke, a kind and forgiving man, worked hard to provide for his family and valued harmony above all else. Together, they formed a strong foundation for their family, instilling in their children the importance of love, compassion, and unwavering support.
Their daughter, Rebecca Armstrong, has carried the weight of this tragedy for over two decades. In a recent interview, her first ever, with USA TODAY, she shared her enduring grief and the profound impact her parents’ absence has had on her life and the lives of her siblings. "I miss my momma and daddy," she said, her voice filled with sorrow. "I didn’t get to see them grow old. I didn’t get to take care of them. My brothers and sisters, we missed that.”
The Larkes’ murder robbed them of witnessing their grandchildren’s milestones, attending weddings, graduations, and sharing in the joys of family life. Five great-grandchildren would never know their great-grandparents’ love and guidance. “He took that away,” Armstrong lamented. “They missed so much.”
Now, 24 years later, the man responsible for their deaths, Brad Keith Sigmon, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad, a method not used in the United States for 15 years. The impending execution has reopened old wounds and forced the family to confront the trauma they have carried for so long.
On that fateful day in April 2001, Sigmon arrived at the Larke residence with a sinister plan. Fueled by crack cocaine, he intended to tie up David and Gladys and kidnap Armstrong, his former girlfriend. Instead, he unleashed a brutal attack on the unsuspecting couple, bludgeoning them to death with a baseball bat. Each victim was struck nine times, according to police reports and medical examinations. Sigmon then abducted Armstrong, who bravely jumped from his moving vehicle to escape. As she fled, Sigmon fired at her, hitting her once before his gun ran out of bullets.
Armstrong’s first instinct was to return to her parents, unaware of the extent of their injuries. “I jumped out of the car to get back to my parents, to try to go back and help them,” she recounted. She couldn’t believe Sigmon when he told her they were dead.
Sigmon has never denied his guilt. During his 2002 trial, he admitted to the crimes, offering no justification for his actions. He told the jurors that Armstrong ending their relationship had “set me off,” according to reporting at the time by the Greenville News.
“Do I deserve to die? I probably do,” he confessed. “I don’t want to die. It would kill my mom, my brothers and my sisters … I just want to live for my family’s sake.”
Gladys, 59, and David Larke, 62, created a loving home for their five children in rural South Carolina. Their faith was central to their lives, and they instilled strong values in their children. "We were country people," Armstrong said. "We wasn’t rich. We didn’t have a lot of money. But we were rich in love." Both worked diligently at a metals factory, her father on the first shift and her mother on the second. Later, Gladys went on disability due to migraines, and David started his own washer/dryer business.
"They worked hard their whole lives," Armstrong emphasized. "They were just ordinary people who loved their children and loved their grandchildren."
Family dinners were a sacred ritual in the Larke household. "They showed us kids what unconditional love was all about," Armstrong said. "They just loved helping people. That’s who they were."
Armstrong’s brother, Darrell Larke, spoke poignantly during Sigmon’s trial, emphasizing the profound influence of his parents on his life. "I am who I am because of him (my dad) and my mom," he said. "(My dad) taught me how to fish, how to hunt, how to enjoy life, how to be responsible."
Armstrong has decided not to witness Sigmon’s execution, finding solace in her faith and the guidance of a Christian psychiatrist. "The Bible tells you, I know it says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but if you read on down in there it says, Revenge is not mine, says the Lord, revenge is God’s," she explained. "I don’t think somebody being put to death is gonna bring me closure… It bothers me and gives me anxiety about him being put to death, and especially him picking the firing squad."
Despite her reservations about the death penalty, Armstrong believes that Sigmon’s execution will bring a sense of closure. "It’s like I’m reliving that morning," she said, describing the emotions stirred up by the impending execution. "It’s brought a lot of that up, a lot of anxiety."
Armstrong’s son, Ricky Sims, however, will attend the execution, wearing a pair of boots that were the last gift his grandparents gave him. “He’s going to pay for what he’s done,” Sims said. “He took away two people who would have done anything for their family. They were the rock of our family … They didn’t deserve it.”
The execution of Brad Keith Sigmon represents the end of a long and painful chapter for the Larke family. While it will not bring back their beloved parents, it may offer a measure of justice and a chance to finally begin to heal from the devastating loss they have endured for so long. The memories of Gladys and David Larke, their love, their hard work, and their unwavering devotion to family, will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved them.
