Florida to carry out double execution for first time in over 60 years

Florida to carry out double execution - ```html

Florida Sets Stage for Historic Dual Executions After Six Decades

The Sunshine State is preparing to implement a rare judicial milestone as officials plan to put two condemned prisoners to death within a single day. This marks the first occurrence of such an event since 1964, according to records maintained by the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit organization tracking capital punishment nationwide.

Florida has rapidly emerged as the leading state in the United States for carrying out death sentences. Governor Ron DeSantis has been instrumental in this surge, with his administration overseeing 29 of the 64 executions conducted across America since January 2025. That figure represents approximately 45 percent of all federal death penalty implementations during that period, based on USA TODAY analysis. Even more striking, the state has handled 58 percent of all executions nationwide since the beginning of 2026.

Two Inmates Face the Needle on July 28

DeSantis recently signed a death warrant on July 14, officially rescheduling the execution of James Duckett for noon Eastern Time on July 28. This date coincides with the previously scheduled execution of Dominick Anthony Occhicone, Jr., who is set to die at 6 p.m. Eastern Time that same evening.

Duckett, a former law enforcement officer, was originally slated for execution in March following his conviction for the 1987 killing of eleven-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee. He received an unusual temporary stay from the Florida Supreme Court while new DNA evidence underwent examination. Unfortunately for Duckett, the genetic testing produced inconclusive results, causing his reprieve to lapse on July 11.

The Tragic Night That Changed Everything

On May 11, 1987, the lives of twenty-nine-year-old rookie officer James "Jimmy" Duckett and young Teresa Mae McAbee became forever connected in the small rural community of Mascotte, Florida. Located west of Orlando with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants at the time, Mascotte was home to a Circle K convenience store where the tragedy unfolded.

Teresa had ventured out around 10 p.m. to purchase a pencil. Duckett, a married father of two boys who had served on the Mascotte Police Department for seven months, was conducting his regular patrol. Court documents indicate he stopped at the Circle K and observed Teresa conversing with a sixteen-year-old boy outside the establishment.

Duckett consistently asserted that he spoke with both the child and the teenager, instructing each to return home. However, the boy and his uncle later provided conflicting accounts, claiming Duckett placed Teresa inside his patrol vehicle and departed with her.

Teresa's mother arrived at the Circle K around 11 p.m., looking for her daughter. The store clerk told her that Teresa may have gone with Duckett, and the mother began searching the area.

When the mother could not locate her child, she contacted authorities and subsequently filed a missing persons report with Duckett, who remained the sole officer on duty that night. The following morning, a fisherman discovered Teresa's body in Knight Lake, less than a mile from the convenience store. Medical examiners determined she had been raped, strangled, and was still alive when her attacker drowned her. Crucially, bodily fluid presumed to belong to the killer was recovered from her underwear, preserving vital DNA evidence.

Sergeant Chuck Johnson, a sheriff's investigator, identified Duckett as a suspect after observing the officer's behavior at the recovery scene. Johnson noted that Duckett appeared nervous, showed little curiosity about the death, and delivered what sounded like a rehearsed explanation of his interactions with Teresa.

Political Ambitions Fuel Debate

Meanwhile, Occhicone's case dates back to the early morning hours of June 10, 1986. According to court records, an enraged Dominick Anthony Occhicone Jr. traveled to the home of his former fiancée, Anita Gerrety, in the coastal community of Holiday, Florida, situated approximately 30 miles northwest of Tampa.

As Occhicone knocked on windows and doors, he encountered Gerrety's sixty-six-year-old father, Raymon Artzne. The confrontation would ultimately result in multiple fatalities.

DeSantis has publicly stated his desire to provide closure to families who have endured waits exceeding four decades for justice. Nevertheless, death penalty critics argue the governor's aggressive approach stems from political motivations related to the 2028 presidential race.

According to a recent statement from Floridians Against the Death Penalty, observers believe DeSantis is "increasingly treating executions as routine instruments of political power."

The governor's office had not yet responded to USA TODAY's inquiry as of July 15 regarding these developments.

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