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[CRIME] · United States · 42 sources

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Florida carries out first double execution since 1964

Florida executed two death‑row inmates on July 28, 2026, marking the first double execution in the state since 1964. Former police officer James Aren Duckett, 68, was put to death by lethal injection at 1:19 p.m. at the Florida State Prison near Starke after being convicted of the 1987 kidnapping, rape and murder of 11‑year‑old Teresa McAbee. Six hours later, 80‑year‑old Dominick Anthony Occhicone was executed at about 6:00 p.m. in the same chamber for the 1986 killings of his ex‑girlfriend’s parents, Raymond and Martha Artzner. Both men’s appeals were rejected by the Florida Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied last‑minute stays. The executions bring Florida’s 2026 tally to 31, almost half of all U.S. executions since the start of 2025, a surge driven by Governor Ron DeSantis, who has authorized a record number of lethal‑injection deaths in his final term. The event has revived debate over the death penalty, with legal challenges citing DNA evidence and claims of cruel‑and‑unusual punishment due to the inmates’ age and health conditions.

Entities

Death Penalty Information Center · Dominick Anthony Occhicone · Dominick Occhicone · Florida · James Aren Duckett · James Duckett · Ron DeSantis · U.S. Supreme Court

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