After two decades on death row, Stephen Bryant, a 44-year-old convicted of a brutal triple murder, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on Friday.
Bryant was pronounced dead at 6:05 pm following a execution method he himself selected over lethal injection or the electric chair.
The Final Execution
The execution process was swift. Bryant offered no final statement, only briefly glancing towards the ten witnesses present before a hood was placed over his head.
All three members of the firing squad were volunteer prison employees, and each was armed with live ammunition.
A media witness reported that just 55 seconds after the order was given, Bryant was shot. He made no audible sound. The bullseye target marking his heart flew forward from the impact on his chest.
After a few shallow breaths and a final spasm a little over a minute later, a doctor checked him with a stethoscope for a full minute before pronouncing him dead. A pool of moisture was seen seeping through Bryant's shirt where he had been shot.
A Grisly Killing Spree
Bryant's execution marks the end of a case that began with a five-day murder spree in rural South Carolina in 2004.
He admitted to murdering Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October of that year. Bryant went to Tietjen's home in rural Sumter County under the pretence of having car trouble, before shooting the man several times.
In a chilling act, Bryant then answered a call from Tietjen's wife and daughter on the victim's phone, telling them he was "the prowler" and that he had killed their loved one.
According to local authorities, Bryant's other two victims were killed in a similar fashion. He took the men on rides in his car and shot them in the back when they stopped to urinate.
Final Meal and Clemency Denied
Prior to his execution, Bryant chose his final meal. The substantial last supper consisted of a spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake.
Republican Governor Henry McMaster denied clemency for Bryant, allowing the execution to proceed.
During the proceedings, three family members of Bryant's victims, who were serving as witnesses, held hands.
His lawyer, Bo King, had previously argued that Bryant suffered from a genetic disorder and was the victim of severe sexual and physical abuse by a relative. King also stated that his mother's drinking during pregnancy had "permanently damaged his body and brain".
This execution is the seventh in South Carolina in just 14 months, following a 13-year pause due to the state's inability to procure lethal injection drugs. Stephen Bryant becomes the 43rd person executed in the United States this year, with 14 more executions scheduled before the year's end.
