In one of the nation’s most controversial capital punishment decisions this year, a South Carolina death row inmate has chosen to die by firing squad later this month.
According to Breitbart, Stephen Bryant, convicted for a string of brutal killings in 2004, is set to be executed by firing squad on November 14, a decision that revives heated debate following a recent, highly contested execution using the same method.
Bryant, 44, will be the third person this year executed by firing squad in the state and the 50th inmate executed in South Carolina since the death penalty was reinstated four decades ago.
His murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in 2004 was as grisly as true crime gets: authorities said Bryant shot the man, burned his eyes with cigarettes, and scrawled the words “catch me if u can” in blood on the wall, reportedly using a potholder soaked in blood borrowed from the victim's daughter.
That daughter had grown suspicious after her father stopped answering his phone; her sixth call was answered by a voice— not her father’s— telling her he had been killed.
Serial Style Killings Shocked Investigators
According to law enforcement, Bryant went on to murder two more men during that same month, luring them into rural areas after offering rides, then shooting them at close range. It may read like the plot of a horror film, but it’s painfully real. And while progressives debate what qualifies as “humane” for a killer, the families of the victims are left with scars running decades deep.
Bryant’s legal team emphasized his troubled background, highlighting childhood sexual abuse at the hands of four male relatives. His attorneys also noted his rising dependence on meth and bug-spray-laced marijuana leading up to the crimes, calling it a cry for help never answered by the system.
State Turned To Alternatives After Drug Shortage
Execution by firing squad— something that sounds like an artifact from another era— was reintroduced in South Carolina when lethal injection drugs became unavailable, leaving only the electric chair and, now, the bullets.
Under state law, inmates are allowed to choose their method. Bryant will be the first to select the firing squad since the death of Mikal Mahdi; that execution stirred controversy because of disturbing sounds during Mahdi’s final moments.
Mahdi reportedly took over a minute to die, emitting audible moans and groans that raised eyebrows even among supporters of capital punishment. Compare that to the earlier execution of Brad Sigmon, which passed without similar drama.
Experts Question Official Claims On Mahdi's Death
Prison officials maintained that “the execution went as planned” and that shooters only needed to hit the heart, not destroy it entirely. Officials also claimed it’s normal for two bullets to enter at the same spot during practice, brushing off critical voices with confident statements about targeting protocol. Yet the experts hired by Mahdi’s defense team begged to differ, pointing to the clean bullet wound and arguing it lacked the jaggedness expected from a double-shot impact.
Bryant's Case Rekindles Ethics Discussion Around Execution Methods
Whatever one thinks of Bryant’s decision, the facts of his crimes are not in dispute— and there is little question he derailed multiple families’ lives with unimaginable cruelty.
Still, with his execution looming and ongoing legal maneuvering expected, activists and attorneys are preparing for another high-profile battle over what the state owes its inmates—even the worst of them—in their final minutes.
One thing is certain: South Carolina’s return to firing squads isn’t just about justice. It’s about navigating a system where practical obstacles, like drug availability, collide with moral absolutes. And once again, it’s the families on both sides who will bear the weight.
