An American triple murderer who chose to be executed by firing squad had his last meal disclosed before being shot dead. Stephen Bryant, a 44-year-old man from South Carolina, went on a killing spree in 2004, taking the lives of three individuals in a rural area of the state. After spending two decades on death row, Bryant was executed on Friday and officially declared deceased at 6.05pm.
The firing squad comprised three prison employees who volunteered for the task and carried live ammunition. Bryant opted for this method of execution over lethal injection or the electric chair. Without making a final statement, he briefly acknowledged the 10 witnesses before a hood was placed over his head.
Approximately 55 seconds later, Bryant was shot. According to the New York Post, he made no sound as the bullet hit its mark on his heart, causing a few shallow breaths and a final spasm over a minute later. A doctor confirmed Bryant’s death after examining him with a stethoscope for a minute.
During the execution, a media witness observed a wet spot on Bryant’s shirt from the gunshot wound to his 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, following a 13-year hiatus due to the unavailability of lethal injection substances. For his final meal, Bryant requested a spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish with rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake.
Bo King, a South Carolina attorney specializing in death penalty cases, revealed that Bryant suffered from a genetic disorder and had experienced sexual and physical abuse by a relative, along with damage caused by his mother’s alcoholism.
Bryant confessed to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in 2004, whom he shot multiple times after visiting his home under the pretense of car trouble. Bryant also answered a phone call from Willard’s wife and daughter, informing them of the killing.
In addition to Willard, Bryant killed two other men, shooting them after taking them for car rides and stopping for them to urinate, as stated by local authorities.
Bryant’s execution makes him the 43rd individual to be executed in the United States this year, with 14 more scheduled before the year ends.