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Execution by rifle · a public recordReference · Protocol
FS-2026-ID-0001
The protocol,
minute by minute.
Reconstructed from IDOC Standard Operating Procedure 135.02.01.001 v5.0, published reporting from the Idaho Statesman, Idaho Press, and Rexburg Standard Journal, and the parallel procedures used by South Carolina in 2025.
T − 24 hrDeath watch beginsCondemned moved from F-Block cell to the death-watch holding area. Personal property inventoried and returned to next of kin.
T − 12 hrFinal meal request$40 cap. Prepared by prison food services, not off-site.
T − 6 hrShooter team lockdownThree primary shooters and two alternates report to the range for one final marksmanship qualification. 100% accuracy required from 7 yards.
T − 4 hrRifles loaded by team leaderFour .30-caliber rifles. One is loaded with a blank round. Only the team leader knows which.
T − 3 hrSpiritual advisor arrivesIdaho protocol permits a spiritual advisor in the chamber. Advisor is searched, briefed, and may not touch the condemned during the volley.
T − 2 hrWitnesses seatedTwelve witness seats: family of victim, family of condemned, media pool, IDOC officials, and one representative from the Idaho Attorney General's office.
T − 60 minIV line pre-setEven under the firing squad protocol, a saline line is placed as a contingency. Documented in IDOC SOP 135.02.01.001 §7(d).
T − 30 minRestraint and transportCondemned walked from holding to chamber. Ankles, waist, chest, arms, and head strapped to the chair bolted to the floor.
T − 10 minCloth square pinnedA white cotton rectangle, approximately 3" square, is pinned to the shirt over the fourth intercostal space — the heart's aiming point.
T − 5 minFinal statementMicrophone hot for up to two minutes. Condemned may decline.
T − 3 minHood placedA black cotton hood is placed over the head. Protocol does not require it; the condemned may decline.
T − 1 minShooters take positionThree primary shooters kneel or stand at sandbag rests behind the gun-port wall. Rifles racked, safeties off.
T − 30 sWarden's countdownVerbal countdown from ten. Shooters aim through gun ports at the cloth square.
T − 5 sReady · AimTeam leader gives 'Ready — Aim' with a five-second hold.
T = 0FireThree rifles discharge simultaneously. One of the four loaded weapons contained a blank; the three shooters cannot know for certain that they fired a killing round.
T + 15 sFirst cardiac checkMedical team leader enters. Stethoscope to a microphone connected to the witness room speakers.
T + 90 sSecond cardiac checkIf cardiac activity persists, the team leader may authorize additional shooters to fire from the alternate positions. This has never publicly occurred in Idaho.
T + 3 minCoroner declarationThe Ada County Coroner, present in the witness room, is called forward to make the formal pronouncement.
T + 5 minCurtains drawnWitness room curtains close. Witnesses escorted to a debriefing room where staff are available.
T + 30 minBody releasedBody released to the Ada County Coroner for autopsy per Idaho Code § 19-2716A.
T + 24 hrAutopsy completedState pathologist reviews entry wounds, cardiac damage, and time-to-death. Report filed within thirty days.
Rifle model
.30-cal bolt-action
$4,843.94 per unit
Distance to target
Approx. 21 ft
Minimum 7 yd qualification
Officers on team
6 (3 fire)
POST-certified, 3+ years