Stephen Bryant, a convicted killer, now faces the ultimate consequence for his horrific crimes. He is currently on death row in South Carolina, awaiting execution for the murders of three men committed over two decades ago in 2004.
Bryant was granted a chilling choice by state law: the method of his own execution. He had until the end of October to decide between lethal injection, the electric chair, or a firing squad – a method steeped in history and brutality.
He chose the firing squad. A stark and deliberate decision, it marks a return to a rarely used form of capital punishment, one that evokes a different era of justice.
The details of Bryant’s crimes are deeply disturbing. He confessed to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen, a crime marked by unspeakable cruelty. He burned the victim’s eyes with cigarettes and then scrawled a taunting message on the wall with Tietjen’s own blood: “catch me if u can.”
The scene was further desecrated with lit candles surrounding the body, and a chilling prediction written in blood: “victem 4 in 2 weeks.” This wasn’t an isolated act of violence; prosecutors believe Bryant also claimed two other lives in October 2004, bookending Tietjen’s murder with further bloodshed.
South Carolina resumed executions this year after a 13-year hiatus, brought on by difficulties in securing the drugs needed for lethal injection. Since then, a surprising trend has emerged.
Four inmates initially opted for lethal injection, but two have already faced the firing squad, and Bryant will become the third in just ten months. This rate far surpasses historical precedent; Utah conducted only three firing squad executions over a span of 33 years.
Bryant’s execution is scheduled for November 14th. The case highlights the complex and often agonizing process of capital punishment, and the enduring debate surrounding its place in modern society.
For over two decades, Bryant has been sustained by the state while the families of his victims have endured unimaginable grief. His impending execution brings a somber, if delayed, sense of closure to a long and painful chapter.
