South Carolina Death Row Inmate Scheduled for Execution

A South Carolina death row inmate is set to be executed next month for a murder committed over two decades ago. The gruesome details include allegations that he burned the victim’s eyes with a cigarette and even taunted police by inscribing “Catch Me If You Can” in the victim’s blood on a wall.

Steven Bryant, 44, is slated for execution on November 14. This follows the state Supreme Court’s issuance of a death warrant, which came after a request from Bryant’s attorneys for a delay was denied. They had cited their cooperation with federal courts amid the U.S. government shutdown.

Bryant’s execution is tied to one count of murder, but prosecutors also recounted that he shot two other men in 2004 while they were urinating on a roadside in Sumter County.

He has until October 31 to decide on the method of execution: lethal injection, firing squad, or electric chair. Since the state resumed executions last year after a long hiatus due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs, four inmates have opted for lethal injection while two others have been executed by gunfire.

Bryant admitted to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen, who he claimed had stopped by his home for help with car troubles. Tietjen was shot multiple times, and candles were reportedly placed around his body. A grisly note explained: “Four victims in two weeks. Catch us if you can.”

Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, expressed her concerns when her father failed to answer repeated calls. During one call, she was shocked to hear a strange voice, which claimed, “I killed him.” When she pressed for the caller’s identity, he simply replied, “I’m a prowler.”

In addition to Tietjen, prosecutors allege that Bryant had killed two others, shooting them in the back while they were outside a car. It’s a chilling reminder of the violence he has been linked to.

On a personal note, Bryant’s attorneys have pointed out that he experienced childhood abuse from several male relatives, which he struggled to deal with leading up to his violent actions. His aunt described him as tortured, saying his eyes conveyed deep pain, and the cycle of abuse haunted him.

To numb his suffering, Bryant reportedly turned to meth and even smoked joints laced with pesticide, which is troubling, to say the least.

Since executions resumed, there has been criticism about the manner in which they are carried out. Inmates have argued that the methods employed could be seen as cruel or unusual punishment. Disturbing reports about past executions raise questions about the effectiveness and humanity of these procedures.

Before resuming executions in September 2024, South Carolina had paused for 13 years largely due to difficulties in procuring lethal injection drugs amid pharmaceutical companies’ concerns over disclosure.

A new law allows the state to keep drug suppliers confidential and has added shooting as an execution method. If Bryant is executed, he will become the 50th person put to death in South Carolina since capital punishment resumed in 1985, and he would be the seventh in just the past year.

This year alone, 39 executions have been carried out across the United States, with several more scheduled before the year’s end.