Brace yourselves, folks—South Carolina is back in the business of capital punishment with a vengeance, as the state Supreme Court just greenlit another execution.

On October 18, 2024, the court issued a death warrant for Stephen Bryant, marking him as the seventh inmate slated for execution since the state resumed the practice in September 2024 after a long hiatus, the Daily Caller reported.

Bryant, now 44, was convicted for the brutal 2004 murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in rural Sumter County, a crime that shocked the community with its cold-blooded nature.

Grisly Details of a 2004 Murder

According to court records, Bryant’s crime unfolded with chilling calculation as he stopped at Tietjen’s home under the pretense of car trouble before shooting the man multiple times.

Adding a macabre twist, Bryant reportedly lit candles around the body and scrawled a taunting message on the wall with a bloodied potholder, daring authorities to catch him.

Prosecutors also revealed Bryant’s alleged involvement in the deaths of two other men that same month, gunned down in disturbingly casual roadside attacks.

Haunting Words to a Grieving Daughter

Perhaps most gut-wrenching was Bryant’s interaction with Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, who called her father’s phone only to hear a stranger’s voice on the line.

“And he said, ‘You can’t, I killed him,’” Dees testified, recounting the horrifying moment she realized her father was gone (Fox News).

“And I said, ‘This isn’t funny, who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m the prowler,’” she continued, a statement that underscores the calculated cruelty of the act (Fox News).

Legal Challenges and Execution Options

Bryant’s legal team fought to delay the execution, pointing to logistical hiccups tied to a federal government shutdown, but the court wasn’t buying it and denied their request.

Now, Bryant faces a November 14, 2024, execution date and must decide by October 31 whether he’ll face lethal injection, a firing squad, or the electric chair—options that reflect South Carolina’s no-nonsense approach to justice.

Since the state restarted executions in September 2024 after a 13-year pause due to expired lethal injection drugs, four inmates have opted for the needle, while two chose the firing squad—a stark reminder of the choices at play.

A State’s Return to Capital Punishment

South Carolina’s journey back to the death chamber hasn’t been without controversy, with lawmakers passing a shield law to hide drug suppliers’ identities and adding the firing squad as an option to keep the process moving.

As the 50th person set to be executed since the state brought back the death penalty in 1985, Bryant’s case is a milestone—though not one likely to be celebrated by those pushing progressive agendas against capital punishment.

Still, for many in South Carolina, this resumption signals a return to accountability, even if it’s a tough pill to swallow in a culture increasingly squeamish about consequences.