A person who kidnapped a girl from a Florida insurance coverage workplace and killed her is scheduled for execution in Florida beneath a dying warrant signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Kayle Bates is about to die Aug. 19 within the tenth execution scheduled for this year. DeSantis signed the warrant Friday, simply three days after the state executed Michael Bell for fatally shooting two people outdoors a Florida bar in 1993 as a part of an tried revenge killing.
Bell was the twenty sixth individual to die by court-ordered execution to date this 12 months within the U.S., exceeding the 25 executions carried out last year. It’s the highest complete since 2015, when 28 folks had been put to dying.
Bates, now 67, was convicted of first-degree homicide, kidnapping, armed theft and tried sexual battery within the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White.
Bates kidnapped White from the State Farm insurance coverage workplace the place she labored, took her into some woods behind the constructing, tried to rape her, stabbed her to dying, and tore a diamond ring from one in all her fingers, in keeping with a letter from Florida Legal professional Basic James Uthmeier summarizing the historical past of the case.
Bates’ lawyer, James Driscoll Jr., stated in a telephone name Saturday that he could be submitting additional appeals within the case.
“We consider his execution would violate the U.S. structure,” he stated.
