COLUMBIA, SC – A South Carolina death row inmate convicted of a brutal 2004 murder has elected to face a firing squad rather than lethal injection, becoming the third person this year to choose that method of execution in the state.
Stephen Bryant, 44, is scheduled to be executed on November 14, 2025, for the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen. The execution will be carried out by a three-person firing squad from a distance of 15 feet.
Bryant was convicted of killing Tietjen at his home in October 2004 in what prosecutors described as an exceptionally violent crime. After shooting the victim, Bryant burned Tietjen’s eyes with cigarettes before writing a chilling message in the victim’s blood threatening to kill again.
The handwritten message taunted law enforcement, stating he would strike again soon. Prosecutors linked Bryant to two additional homicides in Sumter County during that same month, establishing a pattern of extreme violence.
When Tietjen’s daughter attempted to reach her father by phone following the murder, a stranger answered and told her the victim was dead. The caller identified himself as “the prowler.” During Bryant’s sentencing hearing, his own daughter testified about this disturbing exchange, providing crucial evidence about his state of mind.
Bryant’s defense team presented evidence of childhood trauma and substance abuse issues during the penalty phase of his trial. They argued these factors influenced his criminal behavior and should be considered as mitigating circumstances.
Despite the defense’s arguments, the court determined the severity and calculated nature of Bryant’s crimes warranted capital punishment. The jury found that aggravating factors, including the torture of the victim and the threat to commit additional murders, outweighed any mitigating evidence.
South Carolina reinstated firing squad executions as an option for death row inmates after difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. The state’s protocol involves three trained marksmen firing simultaneously at the condemned person’s heart.
Bryant will be the third person executed by firing squad in South Carolina this year, reflecting the state’s return to alternative execution methods amid ongoing debates about capital punishment.
The execution is scheduled to proceed unless Bryant’s legal team succeeds in obtaining a stay from appellate courts. Family members of victims linked to Bryant’s crimes have been notified of the execution date.
