South Carolina Inmate Chooses Firing Squad for Execution
A death row inmate in South Carolina, convicted of a murder from over two decades ago, has been selected to die by firing squad. Stephen Bryant, 44, faced execution on November 14, marking him as the third individual executed this year using this method.
Bryant had a deadline to decide between lethal injection, firing squad, or the electric chair. South Carolina resumed executions in 2024 after a 13-year pause due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs.
Since the resumption, four inmates opted for lethal injection and two for execution by gunfire. Bryant had confessed to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen in his residence, where he also used Tietjen’s blood to inscribe “Catch Me If You Can” on the wall.
Investigators found candles placed around Tietjen’s body, alongside a blood-stained potholder and a message that read: “Four victims in two weeks. Catch us if you can.” Tietjen’s daughter had called multiple times, and during the last attempt, a strange voice revealed that Tietjen was dead.
Prosecutors have linked Bryant to the murders of two other men in October 2004, one before and one after Tietjen’s death. Allegedly, he shot these victims while they were outside relieving themselves on a rural road.
Bryant’s attorney shared that he has a traumatic past, having experienced sexual abuse as a child. She mentioned that before the murder, he had been seeking help for his mental health issues and turning to drugs, including stimulants.
During the upcoming execution, Bryant will be shot by three volunteers from a distance of 15 feet. Legal challenges are anticipated, as the lawyers for the last person executed by firing squad claimed the execution was botched, resulting in unnecessary suffering.
Witnesses noted that the previous inmate reportedly groaned and took more than a minute to die. Officials stated that the executioner’s goal is to penetrate the heart, rather than destroy it entirely.
Since 1977, only three prisoners in the U.S. (all in Utah) have faced execution by firing squad. Reports indicate that 41 men have been executed nationwide this year, with at least 18 more slated for execution.
