Man avoids death penalty for killing Horry police officer 23 years ago. Here’s what we know
A Longs man who received a death sentence after his conviction for killing an Horry County police officer more than 23 years ago will now serve life in prison.
The Horry County Solicitor’s Office last month informed the state court that it would not retry James Nathaniel Bryant for the death penalty, according to 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
The decision comes after a lengthy appeals process of the death penalty by Bryant and his attorneys.
A message left with Bryant’s attorney was not immediately returned.
Bryant was convicted twice for murder in the death of Cpl. Dennis Lyden in June 2000 and sentenced to death. However, in 2019, a federal judge vacated the death sentence after concerns that an Horry County juror had a hearing disability and did not understand all the testimony.
The decision to vacate the sentence would allow for a third trial that would only determine Bryant’s sentence and not his guilt.
Richardson said he came to the decision after meeting with Lyden’s widow, family and police and to spare them having to go through another death penalty trial 20 years later. Lyden’s family said, “I can’t do this again,” Richardson said.
There was no formal hearing, Richardson said. All involved met with the judge, who heard the decision and after sent Bryant back to prison to serve his life sentence. Bryant had been serving time on death row during the appeal process.
In 2020, prosecutors appealed the decision to vacate the death penalty sentence to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which considered whether Bryant should be executed for killing the officer. In November 2021, the Fourth Circuit Court was divided on its decision, which affirmed the 2019 judge’s decision to vacate the death sentence.
Prosecutors appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which denied to hear the case.
Lyden pulled Bryant over on S.C. 544 during a traffic stop. During the arrest, Bryant overpowered the officer, took his flashlight and savagely beat him, according to court records. Bryant then used Lyden’s gun to shoot and kill him.
The jury convicted Bryant during the guilt phase and then sentenced him to death in 2001. On appeal, the state Supreme Court overturned that conviction saying the trial was unfair because county police working for the solicitor’s office worked on investigations of possible jurors.
In 2004, a second jury again found Bryant guilty and sentenced him to death.
This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 7:45 AM.
