Stephen Bryant, a South Carolina man convicted of a triple murder in 2008, was executed by a firing squad on Friday, November 14. The execution took place at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, where Bryant was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. local time. Of the three execution methods legal in the state, Bryant chose death by firing squad over lethal injection or electrocution. The sentence was carried out by three prison employees in a proceeding witnessed by ten people, including family members of the victims.
Bryant’s crime spree began in October 2004. His first victim was his 36-year-old coworker, Clifron Gainey, whom he killed before burglarizing his home. Just two days later, Bryant murdered 62-year-old William Tietjen in his own residence. In a chilling act, he left a note written in blood on the wall that read, “Victim number four in two weeks, catch me if you can.” He further taunted the family by answering Tietjen’s phone and telling the victim’s wife and daughter that the man was “dead.” Two days after that, Bryant fatally shot his third victim, 35-year-old Chris Burges, during a meeting at a convenience store.
Prior to his execution, Bryant was served his final meal. The menu was extensive, featuring a mixed seafood stir fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake. This detailed request offered a stark contrast to the brutal nature of his crimes and the severity of his punishment.
Following the execution, Bryant’s attorney, Bo King, shared his client’s final wish. Bryant hoped that no one would be denied access to mental health support due to an inability to pay, a circumstance he claimed he had faced. King’s statement remembered Bryant as a man who showed “grace and courage” in his final days and highlighted his “love for nature, the water, and the world.” This third firing squad execution in South Carolina this year closes a chapter on a series of violent crimes that haunted the state for over two decades.
