A convicted triple-murderer has made his choice for his method of execution after years on death row in South Carolina. Stephen Bryant, 44, confessed to killing three out of four men during a crime spree in 2004, sealing his fate on Death Row by murdering Willard “TJ” Tietjen, 62, and leaving a chilling message in blood that read “catch me if u can.”
After over 15 years since his sentencing, Bryant is set to be executed in less than two weeks, opting for death by firing squad. The volunteers will shoot him from a 15ft distance on November 14, following the Supreme Court’s decision not to overturn his sentence. This execution date falls just over two decades after he murdered Tietjen.
During Bryant’s trial, it was revealed that he lured Tietjen by pretending to have car trouble before fatally shooting him. He then proceeded to ransack Tietjen’s home, use his computer, and even answer a call from Tietjen’s wife and daughter, callously informing them of his death.
Prosecutors disclosed that Bryant also killed two other men in Sumter County in October 2004. He was found guilty of three counts of murder and received the death penalty on September 11, 2008. Despite his attempts to appeal his sentence, the Supreme Court’s refusal to review it has paved the way for his upcoming execution.
Bryant’s fate mirrors that of Mikal Mahdi, another convicted spree killer who was put to death by firing squad earlier this year after being found guilty of murdering a police officer in South Carolina.