Lawyers representing Stephen Bryant, a South Carolina death row inmate, are making a last-ditch effort to halt his scheduled execution later this month. Bryant, 44, is facing execution for a series of brutal crimes committed in October 2004, including the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen. His attorneys argue that the judge who sentenced him failed to fully consider the extent of Bryant’s brain damage, which they claim resulted from his mother’s alcohol and drug use during pregnancy. They contend this brain damage, known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), significantly impaired Bryant’s ability to control his behavior and should have been taken into account during his sentencing.
The crimes that led to Bryant’s death sentence were particularly gruesome. Investigators say that after fatally shooting Tietjen in his home, Bryant burned the victim’s eyes with cigarettes and used Tietjen’s blood to paint taunting messages on the walls, including the phrase “catch me if u can.” Prosecutors have also linked Bryant to the shootings of two other men whom he was giving rides to over a five-day terror spree in Sumter County, South Carolina. In addition to these murders, Bryant was implicated in another shooting and two burglaries, all occurring in the rural areas east of Columbia. Prosecutors argue that these were not crimes of impulsivity but rather carefully planned and executed acts, demonstrating Bryant’s cunning and methodical nature.
Despite the severity and calculated nature of the crimes, Bryant’s defense team emphasizes that his mental health was deeply compromised. During his original trial in 2008, Bryant’s lawyers presented evidence that he was deeply troubled in the months leading up to the killings, haunted by memories of sexual abuse at the hands of relatives during his childhood. However, they did not then explore or highlight how FASD may have further impaired his judgment and capacity to conform to the law. Now, in this latest appeal to the South Carolina Supreme Court, Bryant’s attorneys argue that this oversight deprived him of a fair sentencing, as the court never fully considered the neurological damage caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs.
Bryant’s legal team has submitted additional evidence to support their claims, including a 2024 interview with a clinical psychologist. In this interview, Bryant recounts a traumatic childhood filled with abuse not only from male relatives but also from his mother—who was a preacher’s wife—and several strippers in his neighborhood before he reached his teenage years. This new testimony aims to shed light on the broader context of Bryant’s troubled upbringing and the lasting psychological and neurological harm he suffered. Moreover, his lawyers note that a comprehensive brain scan, which could have revealed such damage, was never conducted prior to his trial, leaving critical evidence unexplored.
The state, however, strongly opposes this appeal. Prosecutors argue that Bryant’s lawyers are essentially trying to introduce a new defense strategy after their original attempt failed. They maintain that the nature of Bryant’s crimes—marked by planning, cruelty, and deliberate attempts to terrorize the victim’s family—clearly demonstrates that his actions were not the result of uncontrollable impulses caused by brain damage. They highlight the calculated cruelty of Bryant’s acts, including the desecration of Tietjen’s body and the taunting phone calls made to the victim’s wife and daughter, as evidence of his malicious intent.
In court documents, prosecutors describe Bryant as “methodical, cunning” and note that he derived pleasure from his “deadly rampage,” which inflicted “gratuitous horror” on Tietjen’s family. They argue that the only failure of the justice system would be to delay his execution, which is currently set for November 14 and is to be carried out by firing squad. The state’s position is clear: Bryant’s execution should proceed as scheduled, underscoring the severity of his crimes and the need for finality.
Beyond the court appeal, Bryant still has the option to seek clemency from the governor, who holds the power to commute a death sentence to life imprisonment. However, such decisions are rare in South Carolina’s modern death penalty era. Historically, no governor in the state has granted clemency once a death sentence is finalized. Moreover, any clemency decision in Bryant’s case would likely be announced only moments before the execution is scheduled to begin, leaving little time for preparation or response.
Bryant’s impending execution will mark the third time South Carolina has used the firing squad as