South Carolina prepares for execution amid legal and mental health debates
Stephen Bryant, convicted of multiple murders, faces execution by firing squad in South Carolina after the state's highest court rejected his appeal, which argued his brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome could have influenced his actions. Despite his defense's claims of childhood abuse and potential brain damage, the court upheld his high level of planning and decision-making, affirming the death sentence. Bryant has chosen the firing squad method, making him the third in South Carolina this year, amid ongoing debates over execution methods.