Florida to Carry Out First Double Execution in Over Six Decades

Governor Ron DeSantis has scheduled two executions for July 28, marking the first double execution in Florida since 1964. Former police officer James Duckett, 68, convicted of murdering an 11‑year‑old girl in 1987, will be put to death at 12 p.m. after a temporary reprieve from the state Supreme Court expired following inconclusive DNA testing. Six hours later, 80‑year‑old Dominick Anthony Occhicone Jr., convicted of killing his ex‑fiancée’s parents in 1986, will be executed, making him the oldest person ever executed in Florida and the second oldest in the United States.

The double scheduling underscores DeSantis’ aggressive use of the death penalty; Florida has carried out 29 executions under his tenure, representing 45 % of U.S. executions and 58 % of this year’s total. The governor has also expanded execution methods and signed legislation to add the death penalty for certain child sex offenses.