Key Highlights
- Stephen Bryant is set to be executed on Friday, Nov. 14, at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.
- Bryant was convicted of murdering three people during an eight-day killing spree in 2004 and taunting police with a message written in blood.
- The firing squad method will be used for the execution, which is rare in the United States, having been employed only six times since 2010.
- Bryant’s execution follows two others this year in South Carolina and comes as states face challenges obtaining lethal injection drugs.
Executing Stephen Bryant: A Rare Firing Squad Method
The United States is set to execute its third prisoner by firing squad this year, with Stephen Bryant scheduled for an execution on Friday, November 14. This marks a rare use of the method, which has been employed only six times since 2010 in states like Utah and South Carolina.
Bryant’s crimes are particularly chilling. In October 2004, while on probation for burglary, he embarked on an eight-day killing spree that left three men dead and one critically wounded. Bryant pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison for two of the killings and the death penalty for Willard “T.J.” Tietjen, who was shot nine times after allowing Bryant into his home.
The Crime and Its Aftermath
Bryant’s attack on Tietjen began with a false pretext. According to court records, he told Tietjen that his truck had overheated, leading to hours of conversation before the brutal assault. In a macabre act, Bryant used Tietjen’s blood to write a taunting message: “Victem 4 in 2 weeks. Catch me if u can,” highlighting his disregard for law enforcement and his victims.
The Execution Process
Under South Carolina’s protocol, Bryant will face execution by firing squad at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. Three volunteer corrections officers are expected to shoot him simultaneously after placing a hood over his head and strapping him to a chair. This method has been criticized for its brutality, with one defense attorney describing it as “barbaric” and “a horrifying act that belongs in the darkest chapters of history.”
South Carolina legalized firing squads in 2021, part of an ongoing shift away from traditional methods like lethal injection due to challenges in obtaining necessary drugs. The state has already carried out two executions by this method this year, making Bryant’s third.
A Grim Trend in Executions
If the execution proceeds as planned, it will mark the 43rd inmate executed in the United States in 2025, the highest number since 2012. This trend reflects broader issues within the criminal justice system and ongoing debates about capital punishment.
The firing squad method, though controversial, continues to be used as states struggle with alternatives. As of now, only Utah, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Idaho have legalized this form of execution, with Idaho planning to make it its default method next year.
