South Carolina triple murderer is executed by firing squad

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A South Carolina triple murderer has become the third inmate to be executed by firing squad in the state this year.

Stephen Bryant, 44, was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. Friday at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. He admitted to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October 2004 after stopping by his secluded home in Sumter County and saying he had car trouble. Bryant also shot and killed two other men, one before and one after Tietjen, in the same month, authorities said.

Bryant chose to die by firing squad over lethal injection and the electric chair last month. He made no final statement and briefly glanced toward the 10 witnesses before the hood was placed on his head, according to The Associated Press.

For his final meal, Bryant had spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars and German chocolate cake.

DEATH ROW INMATE STEPHEN BRYANT CHOOSES FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION AFTER ADMITTING TO GRUESOME MURDER

Bryant made no noise as the shots rang out, the AP reported. The red bullseye target that marked the location of his heart flew forward off his chest. He had a few shallow breaths and then a final spasm a little over a minute later. A doctor checked him with a stethoscope for a minute before he pronounced Bryant dead.

Three family members of victims who served as witnesses held hands during the execution.

In the killing of Tietjen, Bryant admitted to fatally shooting him, burning his eyes with cigarettes and painting “catch me if u can” on the wall with Tietjen’s blood.

Tietjen’s daughter called him six times, telling investigators on the final call that a strange voice answered and told her of killing Tietjen.

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Firing squad chair and electric chair in South Carolina

In the other two killings, Bryant gave the men rides in a vehicle and when they got out to urinate on the side of the road, he shot them in the back, authorities said.

Bo King, a lawyer who works on death penalty cases in South Carolina, told the AP that Bryant had a genetic disorder, was a victim of sexual and physical abuse by relatives, and his mother’s binge drinking “permanently damaged his body and brain.”

“Mr. Bryant’s impairments left him unable to endure the tormenting memories of his childhood,” King wrote in a statement.

Bryant is the seventh person put to death by South Carolina in 14 months after the state had a 13-year pause in executions when it couldn’t obtain lethal injection drugs.