“Killer Who Taunted Police with Blood Message Faces Firing Squad”

Stephen Bryant is poised to be executed by firing squad, making him the third inmate executed in this manner in the U.S. this year. His execution connects to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen, a crime committed in 2004.

Details of the Crime

In October 2004, while on probation for burglary, Bryant embarked on a violent eight-day spree that culminated in the deaths of three men, with Tietjen being murdered after a lengthy conversation. Bryant entered Tietjen’s home under the pretense of needing help with his overheated truck and later shot him nine times.

Taunting the Police

After the murder, Bryant infamously scrawled “Catch me if u can” on a wall using Tietjen’s blood, taunting law enforcement. Bryant later confessed to targeting victims randomly during his rampage, which also included his friend Clifton Gainey and another stranger, Christopher Burgess. A fourth victim, Clinton Brown, survived being shot in the back.

Shooting Execution Method

Bryant’s execution is set for 6 p.m. ET on Friday, November 14, at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. Under South Carolina’s protocol, he will be strapped to a chair and covered with a hood, as three corrections officers simultaneously aim for his heart.

History of Firing Squad Executions

• Firing squad executions are rare in the U.S.
• Stephen Bryant will become only the sixth person executed by this method in modern history.
• Previously, South Carolina allowed firing squad executions starting in 2021, with two inmates executed this year.
• Other states approving this method include Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Idaho.

Legal Considerations

Bryant chose the firing squad over two other methods: the electric chair and lethal injection. If he had not made a selection, the electric chair would have been the default method. State officials assert that this method is constitutional, despite critiques labeling it as barbaric.

This upcoming execution marks a significant moment in the ongoing discussions about capital punishment methods and their implications in the United States, particularly surrounding the revival of the firing squad as an execution option.