South Carolina Man Chooses Firing Squad for November Execution
In a somber choice that echoes the gravity of his crimes, Stephen Bryant, a 44-year-old death row inmate in South Carolina, has elected to die by firing squad on November 14. His decision makes him the third person this year to face this execution method in the state, which only recently resumed capital punishment after a 13-year hiatus due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. Bryant was given until Friday to select his preferred method of execution—lethal injection, electric chair, or firing squad—as required by state law for those facing the ultimate punishment.
The crimes that led Bryant to death row are disturbing in their brutality. In 2004, he admitted to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in a particularly gruesome fashion—shooting him in his home, burning his eyes with cigarettes, and then using the victim’s blood to write a taunting message on the wall: “victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can.” The scene was eerily staged with candles lit around Tietjen’s body. The horror extended beyond the murder itself when Tietjen’s daughter, who had been trying to reach her father by phone, reported that on her final attempt, a strange voice answered and told her they had killed her father. This chilling communication added another layer of psychological trauma to an already heinous act.
Prosecutors believe Bryant’s violence wasn’t limited to Tietjen. He allegedly murdered two other men in October 2004—one before and one after Tietjen’s death. The pattern was particularly cold-blooded; investigators said Bryant would offer the men rides and then shoot them in the back while they relieved themselves on roadsides in rural areas. This serial nature of his crimes painted a picture of a calculating predator rather than someone who committed a crime of passion or in the heat of the moment, factors that likely influenced both his conviction and death sentence.
Bryant’s defense has pointed to a life marked by severe trauma and insufficient mental health support. His attorneys have argued that he repeatedly sought help while struggling with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse by four male relatives. This trauma, they contended, led him to self-medicate with dangerous substances including methamphetamine and marijuana laced with bug spray. While these circumstances provide context for understanding Bryant’s psychological state, they did not ultimately sway the court away from imposing the death penalty for his crimes. The case highlights the complex intersection of trauma, mental health, and the justice system’s response to extreme violence.
When Bryant faces the firing squad in November, he will experience a procedure that has become extremely rare in modern American executions. Three volunteers will stand 15 feet away from Bryant and fire at his heart. The method has already sparked legal controversy in South Carolina, as attorneys for the most recent inmate executed by firing squad claimed the executioners nearly missed his heart, allegedly causing prolonged suffering. Witnesses reported hearing several groans from that inmate, with his death taking more than a minute—a claim that raises questions about whether the method constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Prison officials have countered that executioners are only required to hit the heart, not necessarily destroy it, in accordance with their protocols.
Bryant’s scheduled execution is part of a significant increase in capital punishment across the United States in 2024. So far this year, 41 people have been executed nationwide, with at least 18 more scheduled. This marks a sharp uptick from recent years. Prior to South Carolina’s resumption of executions this year, only three U.S. prisoners had been executed by firing squad since 1977, all in Utah. As Bryant’s execution date approaches, it will likely reignite debates about capital punishment, execution methods, and the balance between justice for victims and the ethical considerations surrounding how the state takes a human life—conversations that continue to divide Americans across political and moral lines.
