Stephen Bryant, a death row inmate in South Carolina convicted of murder, has selected firing squad as his method of execution. South Carolina allows inmates to choose between lethal injection, the electric chair, or firing squad, with Bryant opting for the latter, the state’s newest execution technique. His scheduled execution is set for November 14.
Bryant will be the third criminal executed by firing squad in South Carolina this year. The most recent firing squad execution involved a botched procedure that caused prolonged suffering, with witnesses reporting groans from the inmate and a death delay exceeding a minute. Executioners are required to strike the heart but not necessarily destroy it, according to prison officials.
Bryant’s crimes include the 2004 murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen, whom he shot multiple times, burned with cigarettes, and left with candles surrounding his body. A message written in blood on the wall—“victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can”—was discovered at the scene. Investigators also linked Bryant to the killings of two other men, whom he shot in the back while giving them rides.
Bryant’s legal team argued he sought help for mental health issues before the crimes, citing a history of childhood sexual abuse and substance use. However, prosecutors emphasized his calculated brutality. His execution will mark the 50th since South Carolina reinstated the death penalty 40 years ago. The state currently has 27 inmates on death row, with no clemencies granted in its history.
This year, 41 U.S. prisoners have been executed, and at least 18 more are scheduled for later this year or next year. Bryant’s case highlights ongoing debates over execution methods and the morality of capital punishment.
