South Carolina has carried out its third execution by firing squad in a year, killing Stephen Bryant, 44, on Friday despite growing opposition to the method. Bryant was convicted of the 2004 murder of Willard 'TJ' Tietjen and pleaded guilty to two other killings.
According to the Associated Press, Bryant made no final statement and glanced at witnesses before a hood was placed over his head. Three prison shooters fired shots about 55 seconds later. A red bull’s-eye target on his chest flew forward, and he took shallow breaths before a final spasm a minute later. He was pronounced dead at 6.05pm.
South Carolina has revived executions after a 13-year pause, killing seven people in rapid succession. The state conducted its first firing squad execution in March, a method human rights advocates have called 'barbaric' and unused in the US for 15 years prior.
Bryant’s lawyers argued he had brain damage from his mother’s alcohol and drug use during pregnancy, and that his sentencing judge could not consider this. They also cited childhood abuse and a denied mental health treatment due to a $75 fee shortly before the murders. The state supreme court declined to halt the execution on Monday, and the attorney general’s office dismissed the brain damage claims, describing Bryant as 'methodical, cunning, and took pleasure' in his crimes.
After the execution, his lawyer Bo King stated that Bryant had shown grace and forgiveness, and his final wish was that no one else in need of aid be rejected. King noted Bryant's love for nature and friendships, contrasting with the state's portrayal of his crimes, which included burning Tietjen’s eyes with cigarettes and painting taunting messages with his blood.
