An American triple murderer who was executed by firing squad recently had his last meal disclosed. Stephen Bryant, a 44-year-old man from South Carolina, carried out a killing spree over five days in 2004, resulting in the deaths of three individuals in a rural area of the state. After spending two decades on death row, Bryant was put to death on Friday and officially declared deceased at 6:05 pm.
Opting for the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, Bryant was executed by three prison employees who volunteered for the task. Without making a final statement, he briefly glanced at the ten witnesses before a hood was placed over his head. Approximately 55 seconds later, Bryant was shot. According to the New York Post, he remained silent during the execution, with the target marking his heart’s position detaching from his chest upon impact. Following a few shallow breaths and a final spasm, Bryant was pronounced dead by a doctor who used a stethoscope to confirm his passing after a minute.
During the execution, a media witness observed a wet spot on Bryant’s shirt where he had been shot in the chest. Three family members of the victims, who served as witnesses, held hands throughout the process. Bryant became the seventh person to be executed in South Carolina within a 14-month period, ending a 13-year hiatus caused by the unavailability of lethal injection drugs.
For his last meal, Bryant requested a spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake. Bo King, a local lawyer specializing in death penalty cases, mentioned that Bryant had a genetic disorder and had endured sexual and physical abuse from relatives, leading to permanent damage from his mother’s alcoholism.
Bryant confessed to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October 2004, where he shot Willard multiple times after feigning car trouble to gain entry into his home. Bryant then answered Willard’s phone call to his wife and daughter, admitting to the crime. Additionally, Bryant killed two other men by luring them into his car under false pretenses and shooting them when they exited to urinate, as disclosed by local authorities.
With Bryant being the 43rd man executed in the United States this year, 14 more executions are scheduled before the year concludes.