A convicted triple-murderer, Stephen Bryant, who has been on death row in South Carolina for 17 years, has made his choice for how he will face execution after committing a series of killings in 2004. Bryant, now 44, confessed to shooting four men, resulting in the deaths of three victims during an eight-day crime spree. His path to the death penalty was solidified when he murdered Willard “TJ” Tietjen, 62, and left a disturbing message in blood, challenging authorities with “catch me if u can.”
More than 15 years after his heinous crimes, Bryant is set to be executed within two weeks, opting for death by firing squad. Volunteers will shoot him from a distance of 15 feet on November 14, following the Supreme Court’s decision not to overturn his sentence. This execution will occur over two decades after the killing of Tietjen.
During Bryant’s trial, it was revealed that he feigned car troubles to approach Tietjen before shooting him and then proceeded to ransack his home, using his belongings, including his computer. Bryant even answered a call from Tietjen’s wife and daughter, callously informing them of the man’s death.
With his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court, Bryant’s end is imminent. His daughter Kimberly Dees testified in court, recounting the chilling details of Bryant’s actions, including his callous confession to her after shooting her father multiple times. Bryant also inflicted further harm by burning Tietjen’s eyes with cigarettes post-mortem.
The gruesome scene was discovered by police with Tietjen’s body surrounded by candles and the ominous message written in blood, using a potholder made by his daughter. Bryant was also found guilty of killing two other men in Sumter County in 2004, leading to his conviction and death sentence in 2008.
Bryant’s fate mirrors that of Mikal Mahdi, another convicted spree killer, who was executed by firing squad in April this year after a multi-state crime spree culminated in the murder of a police officer in South Carolina. Mahdi faced intense pain during his execution when the shooters missed his heart.
As Bryant’s scheduled execution approaches, it marks the end of a long legal battle that concluded with the Supreme Court’s decision not to review his sentence.