A British inmate, Stephen Bryant, 44, is set to be executed in South Carolina in November for the 2016 murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen. Bryant admitted to killing Tietjen after stopping at his home in rural Sumter County, claiming car trouble. He shot Tietjen multiple times, lit candles around the body, and used a potholder made by the victim’s daughter to write “catch me if u can” in blood on the wall.
Bryant’s execution warrant was issued on Friday, despite his lawyers’ request for a delay due to the US government shutdown. He will be the 50th person executed in South Carolina since 1985 and the seventh in 14 months, following a 13-year pause in executions. Bryant has until October 31 to choose between lethal injection, firing squad, or the electric chair.
Prosecutors also linked Bryant to two other murders, where he shot men after giving them rides. During the investigation, residents lived in fear as officers patrolled rural roads. Bryant’s defence argued he was traumatised by childhood sexual abuse and struggled with methamphetamine use, but the court upheld the death sentence.
South Carolina’s execution methods have faced legal challenges, with inmates arguing they are cruel. Witnesses to recent lethal injections reported no signs of struggle, with prisoners losing consciousness within a minute.
