Stephen Bryant Faces Execution: Taunts Left in Blood
Stephen Corey Bryant. Photo courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Twenty years ago, a chilling crime spree unfolded in the quiet, rural stretches of Sumter County, South Carolina. Stephen Corey Bryant, then just 23, embarked on a week-long rampage that left three men dead and a community gripped by fear. Now, after decades of legal battles and appeals, the state's Supreme Court has issued a death warrant for Bryant, scheduling his execution for November 14, 2025. But what makes this case linger in the public imagination is not just the brutality of the murders, but the eerie taunts Bryant left behind — messages scrawled in the victims' blood, daring investigators to catch him.
The Crime Spree That Shook Sumter County
In October 2004, Bryant's violent spree began with the murder of Clifton Gainey, a 36-year-old coworker. Bryant shot Gainey and then burglarized his home, setting a grim tone for what was to come. Just two days later, Bryant targeted Willard "TJ" Tietjen, 62, in his secluded home. The attack was particularly gruesome: Tietjen was shot multiple times, and his eyes and face were burned with cigarettes. Around the body, candles were lit, creating a macabre scene. But the most haunting detail was the message Bryant left behind — written in Tietjen's blood on the wall, it read exactly as "victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can," with spelling errors intact as part of the original message, as reported by the Associated Press. This was no ordinary crime scene; it was a twisted challenge to law enforcement and a psychological torment to the victim's family.
Tietjen's daughter, Kimberly Dees, experienced the horror firsthand. After calling her father multiple times with no answer, she finally reached someone who answered the phone with a chilling admission: her father was dead, and the caller identified himself as "the prowler," as reported by the Associated Press. This call added a layer of psychological terror to the already brutal crime, underscoring Bryant's intent to taunt and intimidate.
The spree didn't end there. Bryant also killed Christopher Burgess, 35, whom he met at a convenience store and later shot.
According to the Associated Press, two of Bryant's victims, Burgess and Gainey, got a rides from Bryant and were shot in the back while they were relieving themselves on the side of rural roads. These random, violent acts terrorized the roughly 100,000 residents of Sumter County, prompting law enforcement to stop nearly every vehicle on dirt roads and warn locals to be cautious of strangers.
The Man Behind the Murders
Stephen Corey Bryant's background paints a picture of a deeply troubled individual. His lawyers revealed that Bryant had been institutionalized as a child and suffered sexual abuse by four male relatives, as reported by the Associated Press. In the months leading up to the murders, Bryant reportedly asked for mental health counseling, struggling to cope with the haunting memories of his abuse. To dull his pain, he turned to methamphetamine and smoked marijuana laced with insecticide, a dangerous cocktail that likely exacerbated his mental state.
Despite these mitigating factors, Bryant pleaded guilty to the murders in 2008. The South Carolina Supreme Court, while acknowledging his troubled past, upheld his death sentence, emphasizing the severity and premeditation of his crimes.
The Legal Journey to Execution
The path to Bryant's execution has been long and fraught with legal hurdles. His attorneys recently sought a postponement of the execution, citing complications arising from a U.S. government shutdown that affected federal court operations. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court denied this request, issuing the death warrant on October 17, 2025.
Bryant now faces execution by his choice of lethal injection, firing squad, or electrocution. According to Fox News and the Associated Press, he has opted for the firing squad, making him the third inmate in South Carolina this year to choose this method since the state resumed executions in 2024 after a 13-year hiatus due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs.
The firing squad method itself has sparked controversy. Previous executions by firing squad in South Carolina have been criticized for their brutality, with reports of inmates suffering prolonged pain due to missed shots, as reported by the Associated Press. Despite these concerns, according to Fox News, prison officials maintain that executioners only need to hit the heart, not destroy it, to carry out the sentence.
Why Did Bryant Taunt Investigators?
The most haunting aspect of Bryant's crimes is the psychological warfare he waged through his bloody messages. Writing "victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can" in the victim's blood was more than a taunt-it was a declaration of control and defiance. It suggested a desire to instill fear not only in the community but also in the very people tasked with bringing him to justice.
This behavior aligns with Bryant's troubled psyche, marked by trauma, substance abuse, and a history of mental health struggles. His actions can be seen as a desperate, twisted attempt to assert power in a life otherwise marked by pain and victimization. The messages were a grim signature, ensuring that his crimes would be remembered not just for their brutality but for their chilling audacity.
A Community's Long Road to Closure
For the residents of Sumter County, Bryant's impending execution represents a long-awaited moment of closure. The terror that gripped the community in 2004, with random killings and a killer who seemed to mock the law, left deep scars. The legal system's slow march toward justice reflects the complexity of balancing punishment with the recognition of mental health issues.
As Bryant awaits his fate, the case remains a stark reminder of the dark intersections between trauma, crime, and justice. It challenges us to consider not only the acts themselves but the human stories behind them — the victims, the families, and even the perpetrator, whose life was shaped by pain and whose final act was a haunting message in blood.
References: He Killed 3 People - Then Taunted Investigators with Messages Written in Victims' Blood | South Carolina schedules execution for man in 2004 killing | Stephen Bryant chooses firing squad execution in South Carolina
