On Tuesday, Florida carried out two separate executions, an event not seen since Arkansas executed two inmates in a single day in 2017. This marks the first time Florida conducted such closely scheduled executions since the U.S. death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976.
Increase in Executions Under Governor DeSantis
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, during his term beginning in 2025, oversaw 19 executions in that year alone, achieving the highest number for any Florida governor since 1976. Overall, Florida executed nearly half of the state executions in the U.S. this year.
The first execution on Tuesday was of James Aren Duckett, 68, convicted of an on-duty rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in 1987. He was declared dead at 1:19 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Duckett’s execution made him the 11th inmate executed by Florida this year.
Later that day, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, was set to become the oldest prisoner executed in Florida’s modern history. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. If carries out, Occhicone would become the second-oldest death row inmate executed in U.S. history, following the execution of 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. in 2018 in Alabama.
Legal Challenges and Controversy
Both Duckett and Occhicone filed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their attorneys argued the handling of DNA evidence and age-related health issues respectively. However, the Florida Supreme Court denied their appeals.
Duckett’s legal team maintained his innocence, claiming mishandling of DNA evidence led to inconclusive results. Occhicone’s attorneys argued his age and health could result in an especially painful execution, raising concerns of cruel and unusual punishment.
Florida’s New Execution Protocol
The Department of Corrections confirmed its readiness for both executions, which involves a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug. DeSantis did not explain why he scheduled the executions six hours apart but emphasized the necessity of conducting them smoothly.
The advocacy group Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty urged DeSantis to halt the executions. Executive Director Grace Hanna claimed that the state’s aggressive use of the death penalty contradicts public sentiment.
“July 28 represents an unprecedented escalation of Florida’s use of the death penalty,” Hanna said.
DeSantis remarked that justice delayed is justice denied and that carrying out these sentences honors victims’ families who have waited for decades.
Historical Context
The last time Florida executed two inmates on the same day was on May 12, 1964. DeSantis initially signed Duckett’s death warrant in February, but a temporary stay allowed for additional DNA testing. These results neither exonerated Duckett nor definitively implicated him.
Occhicone’s death warrant was signed late June, with his execution initially set alone for Tuesday. However, after Duckett’s stay was lifted, DeSantis added him to the same date.