STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man who killed an 8-year-old woman and her grandmother on an evening wherein he drank closely and used medication was executed Thursday night.
Jail officers mentioned Edward James, 63, was pronounced lifeless at 8:15 p.m. after receiving a three-drug injection at Florida State Jail close to Starke. He drew the dying penalty after pleading responsible to the Sept. 19, 1993, killings of Toni Neuner, 8, and her grandmother, Betty Dick, 58.
Three different executions have been carried out this week within the U.S., together with the lethal injection earlier Thursday of an Oklahoma man for the deadly capturing of a girl throughout a house invasion. Arizona executed a man by an injection Wednesday and Louisiana used nitrogen gas for the primary time Tuesday, placing a person to dying as that state ended a 15-year pause on executions.
The U.S. Supreme Courtroom denied James’ last appeals earlier within the day, clearing the way in which for the state’s second execution of the 12 months. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed James’ dying warrant earlier this 12 months and one other warrant for an execution in early April.
James had been renting a room in Dick’s home in Casselberry, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Orlando, the place Toni Neuner and three different youngsters have been staying the night time of the assault.
Courtroom data present James drank as much as 24 beers at a celebration, downed some gin and in addition took LSD earlier than returning to his room at Dick’s home. The woman was raped and strangled to dying. The opposite youngsters weren’t harmed.
James, who pleaded responsible to the costs, was additionally convicted of the woman’s rape and of stealing Dick’s jewellery and automobile after stabbing her 21 instances. Courtroom paperwork present James drove the automobile throughout the nation, sometimes promoting items of knickknack till he was arrested on Oct. 6 of that 12 months in Bakersfield, California.
Police obtained a videotaped confession from James, who regardless of his responsible pleas was sentenced to dying upon an 11-1 suggestion by a jury.
James’ legal professionals had filed a number of appeals with state and federal courts, all of which have been denied. Most lately, the Florida Supreme Courtroom rejected an argument that his longtime use of medicine and alcohol, a number of head accidents and a coronary heart assault in 2023 led to a psychological decline that may make executing him merciless and weird punishment.
The justices as a substitute agreed with a decrease court docket resolution that “James’s cognitive points don’t protect him from execution.” The court docket additionally rejected an argument from James’ legal professionals {that a} coronary heart assault he suffered in jail led to oxygen deprivation that affected his mind and may have been thought-about as new proof for halting plans to execute him.
The nonprofit Loss of life Penalty Info Heart mentioned Florida makes use of a three-drug cocktail for its deadly injection: a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the guts.
Earlier this 12 months, James Ford was executed for the 1997 killings of a pair in Charlotte County — witnessed by their toddler daughter, who survived.
Florida officers mentioned they’re subsequent getting ready for the scheduled April 8 execution of Michael Tanzi for the 2000 slaying of a girl within the Florida Keys.
