A chilling chapter in South Carolina’s criminal history is set to unfold as Stephen Bryant, 44, has chosen to face the firing squad for his crimes, more than two decades after brutally taking three lives.
The execution is scheduled for November 14, and it marks one of the rare instances in modern U.S. history where this method will be used.
Bryant, who has spent 17 years on death row, committed his first known murder in 2004, targeting a father and husband in the privacy of his own home.
Authorities say his shocking act was accompanied by a taunting message, written in the victim’s own blood: “Catch me if you can.”
A Gruesome Crime That Haunts the Victims’ Families
The first victim, Willard “TJ” Tietjen, 62, was reportedly killed at random.
Investigators revealed Bryant had tricked him into thinking he needed help with his car before murdering him inside his secluded residence.
The horror did not end there. After the killing, Bryant ransacked the home and even answered a phone call from Tietjen’s wife and daughter, cruelly confirming the murder.
According to Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, when she asked to speak with her father, Bryant chillingly replied, “You can’t, I killed him,” before identifying himself simply as a “prowler.”
The victim’s body was found surrounded by lit candles, with the message scrawled in blood on a childhood potholder, and Tietjen had been shot nine times, with burns inflicted to his face and eyes.
Bryant’s Subsequent Murders and Criminal Pattern
Bryant’s crimes did not stop with Tietjen. He went on to murder Clifton Gainey, 36, and Christopher Burgess, 35, in a similarly cold-blooded manner.
Both men were lured under false pretenses, shot in the back while vulnerable, and investigators discovered he also attempted a fourth murder, leaving Clinton Brown alive but gravely injured.
In 2008, Bryant pleaded guilty to all three murders. While he received life sentences for Gainey and Burgess, he has remained on death row for Tietjen’s killing.
Childhood Trauma and Defense Arguments
Bryant’s defense highlighted a history of severe childhood trauma, including sexual abuse by male relatives, alongside substance abuse issues involving methamphetamine and contaminated marijuana.
His aunt, Terry Caulder, testified about the emotional scars Bryant carried, describing him as being visibly tortured by his past.
Despite these arguments, the courts have consistently upheld his death sentence.
A recent plea to delay his execution due to a government shutdown was denied, leaving Bryant with the choice of execution method.
Choosing the Firing Squad: A Controversial Option
In an unusual twist, Bryant opted for execution by firing squad, a method long considered archaic and controversial.
While legal in South Carolina and a few other states, it remains a rare choice.
He will be shot at from 15 feet away by three volunteers, with a target placed over his chest to aim for the heart.
Witnesses will not see the shooters, and the inmate’s head is shielded.
South Carolina has already conducted two firing squad executions this year, matching the total historically seen in Utah.
Other states, such as Idaho, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, allow the method but have never carried it out.
Critics argue that firing squads are inhumane, citing concerns about accuracy and the potential for extreme suffering, though state corrections officials maintain the method adheres to strict protocols to ensure a swift death.
The Final Countdown
As Bryant’s execution date approaches, the case has drawn national attention, both for the horrific nature of his crimes and the rare method of execution.
Families of his victims, law enforcement, and the public continue to grapple with the tragedy, while the state prepares to carry out one of the most unusual forms of capital punishment in decades.