Stephen Bryant, 44, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on Friday for the murders of three people in 2004. He became the third person to die by this method in the state this year, having chosen it over lethal injection or the electric chair.
Bryant was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. He made no final statement, only glancing briefly at witnesses before a hood was placed over his head. Three prison employees, each with live ammunition, carried out the execution. Shots rang out about 55 seconds later, and a red bullseye target marking his heart flew forward from his chest. After a few shallow breaths and a final spasm, a doctor pronounced him dead.
Bryant admitted to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October 2004 after stopping at his home in rural Sumter County, claiming car trouble. He shot Tietjen multiple times and later answered his phone, telling his wife and daughter he was the prowler. Bryant also killed two other men, shooting them in the back after giving them rides.
Republican Governor Henry McMaster denied clemency, and no South Carolina governor has granted clemency since the death penalty resumed in the US in 1976. Bryant's lawyer, Bo King, said Bryant had a genetic disorder, suffered abuse, and his mother's binge drinking caused permanent brain damage. King noted Bryant showed grace and courage in forgiving his family.
South Carolina resumed executions in September 2024 after a 13-year pause due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. Since then, four men have been executed by lethal injection and two by firing squad. The firing squad is also legal in Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Bryant is the 43rd person executed in the US this year and the 50th in South Carolina since the state reinstated the death penalty 40 years ago. At least 14 more executions are scheduled for 2025 and 2026.
