A convicted triple-murderer, Stephen Bryant, has made his choice for the method of his execution after spending nearly two decades on death row in South Carolina. Bryant, 44, confessed to killing three out of four men during a crime spree in 2004, sealing his fate on Death Row by murdering Willard “TJ” Tietjen and leaving a chilling message written in blood.
Scheduled to be executed in less than two weeks, Bryant opted for death by firing squad, with volunteers set to shoot him from a distance of 15 feet on November 14. This decision came after the Supreme Court upheld his sentence, marking over 20 years since he took Tietjen’s life.
During Bryant’s trial, it was revealed that he lured Tietjen by feigning car trouble before brutally shooting him, looting his residence, using his belongings, and even answering a call from Tietjen’s family to inform them of his demise.
Tietjen’s daughter testified that Bryant callously admitted to the murder over the phone, revealing the gruesome details of the killing. Investigators found Tietjen’s body desecrated with cigarettes burns, surrounded by candles and the haunting message written in his own blood.
Prosecutors also linked Bryant to the murders of two other men in Sumter County in 2004, resulting in his conviction for three counts of murder and the subsequent death penalty in 2008. The Supreme Court’s refusal to review his sentence paves the way for Bryant’s impending execution next month.
Bryant will join Mikal Mahdi in opting for death by firing squad, following Mahdi’s execution earlier this year. Mahdi, a notorious spree killer, met the same fate after being convicted for a series of crimes culminating in the murder of a police officer in South Carolina.
