Execution of Steven Bryant in South Carolina

A man was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on Friday, marking the third such execution this year.

Three prison employees took part in the execution of 44-year-old Steven Bryant, who was declared dead at 6:05 p.m.

In 2004, Bryant was convicted of killing three individuals within five days in a rural area of the state.

He opted for the firing squad instead of lethal injection or the electric chair.

During the execution, he didn’t offer a final statement, instead looking at the witnesses before covering his head with a hood.

Approximately 55 seconds later, a gunshot was heard. Bryant remained silent, and a target marking his heart moved forward from his chest.

After a few shallow breaths, he convulsed slightly before doctors spent a minute examining him with a stethoscope before determining he was dead.

Observers noted a wet patch on Bryant’s chest where he had been shot. Witnesses included three family members of one of his victims, who held hands during the event.

Since the state resumed executions after a 13-year hiatus due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs, Bryant became the seventh person executed in South Carolina.

Governor Henry McMaster’s office confirmed he denied any pardon for Bryant, as no governor in South Carolina has issued a pardon since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Final Meal and Background

For his last meal, Bryant chose a mix of spicy stir-fried seafood, fried fish over rice, a fried egg, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake.

His attorney, Beau King, shared that Bryant had a genetic disorder, suffered from abuse as a child, and had significant health effects due to his mother’s alcohol use during pregnancy.

King described Bryant as someone who had difficulty confronting painful childhood memories and noted, “He showed grace and courage in forgiving his family and had a love for those inside and outside prison.”

Dr. King added, “We will remember his unexpected friendships and his fierce protectiveness.”

Debate Over Execution Methods

The firing squad has a controversial history, utilized for various purposes from frontier justice in the Old West to political repression in totalitarian regimes. In the U.S., some argue it’s the most humane method after multiple botched lethal injections.

South Carolina, like other states, faced challenges in securing lethal injection drugs, leading to a 13-year pause in executions.

After resuming executions in September 2024, the state has used both lethal injection and firing squad methods, among others.

Attorney King criticized the executions as “brutal and shameful,” asserting that they haven’t made the state any safer or fairer.

In recent years, Utah has executed only three individuals via firing squad, with the method still being legal in Idaho and as a backup in Oklahoma and Mississippi.

Bryant’s Crimes in 2004

Bryant confessed to murdering Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October 2004, claiming car trouble while at Tietjen’s remote residence.

After shooting Tietjen multiple times, he answered Tietjen’s phone and told his family he had killed him. Bryant also murdered two others related to the same string of crimes.

Authorities actively searched the area, warning residents to be cautious of strangers during the manhunt.

This year, Bryant was the 43rd person executed in the U.S., and at least 14 more are scheduled to face execution by year’s end and into the next year.

Bryant became the 50th individual executed in South Carolina since the death penalty was reinstated four decades ago.

Firing Squad Execution Process

Witnesses to the execution sat behind bulletproof glass as the curtains opened. The condemned person was restrained to a chair, with a medical professional placing a target over the heart.

After final statements were read by lawyers, a hood was placed over the individual’s head, and the firing squad was positioned behind a screen.

Gunshots were fired without any warning, and within a few minutes, a doctor would verify the death.

In a previous execution by firing squad, lawyers claimed the placement of shots led to unnecessary suffering for the condemned individual.