In South Carolina, convicted triple-murderer Stephen Bryant, 44, who has been on death row for 17 years, has chosen to be executed by firing squad. Bryant, responsible for a series of killings in 2004 including the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen, opted for this method of execution after failing to overturn his sentence in the Supreme Court. He will face his fate on November 14, almost two decades after his heinous crimes.
During his crime spree, Bryant not only killed Tietjen but also committed two other murders in Sumter County. His violent actions shocked the community and led to his conviction on three counts of murder in 2008. Despite his attempts to appeal his sentence, the Supreme Court’s decision has sealed his fate, paving the way for his scheduled execution.
The brutal nature of Bryant’s crimes, which included ransacking Tietjen’s home and chillingly informing his family of the murder, left a lasting impact on the victims’ loved ones. Bryant’s choice of firing squad as the method of execution mirrors that of Mikal Mahdi, another notorious criminal who met the same fate earlier this year. Both cases serve as grim reminders of the consequences of such heinous acts.