Florida recently became the first state in nearly ten years to execute two inmates in a single day. An 80-year-old man, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, was the second-oldest person to receive a lethal injection in modern U.S. history. Earlier, the state executed James Aren Duckett, a former police officer convicted of killing a young girl.
Governor Ron DeSantis, nearing the end of his term, has made Florida’s execution chamber the busiest in the nation. He stated that too many families have waited too long for justice. The recent executions marked the first back-to-back in nearly five years since Arkansas executed two men within three hours in 2017.
DeSantis, who sets execution dates under Florida law, chose to carry out both executions on the same day. Nationwide, the use of the death penalty had been on the decline for two decades. However, Florida’s increased execution pace has contributed to an uptick. Since the start of 2025, nearly half of all state executions in the U.S. have occurred in Florida.
Details of the Executions
Occhicone was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. after receiving a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. His execution took place almost five hours after Duckett’s execution in the same chamber. At Occhicone’s 6 p.m. scheduled time, he was strapped to a gurney with an IV and a spiritual adviser nearby. When asked for a statement, he thanked his Christian brothers for their visits and apologized to his family and the victims’ families.
I know it don’t mean much, but I’m sorry. I never meant to do what I did.
The lethal injection began at 6:02 p.m. and Occhicone exhibited deep breathing until his breathing slowed. When the warden attempted to rouse him, there was no response. Occhicone was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. An older inmate executed in the U.S. was 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr., who was put to death in 2018.
Duckett’s Execution
Earlier in the afternoon, Duckett became the 11th inmate executed by Florida this year. Convicted of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee, he was a police officer at the time of the crime in 1987. Duckett declined to make a final statement and showed no response during his execution at 1:19 p.m. After the execution, Teresa’s family expressed relief.
I waited nearly 40 years to have him dead,Dorthy Tula, the victim’s mother, stated.
Tracy Mcfall-Buskirk, the girl’s cousin, added, This man took advantage of his badge.
Execution Records Under Governor DeSantis
Nationwide, there have been 19 executions so far this year, including those in Florida. With 12 executions in 2026 alone, Florida has surpassed all other states combined. DeSantis leaves office in January, having overseen a record 19 executions last year, the highest for a Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Another execution is set for August.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty called for a halt, describing the two executions in one day as an unprecedented escalation. The group’s executive director, Grace Hanna, highlighted evidence suggesting that most Floridians oppose capital punishment.
Delay and Execution Process
DeSantis has not specified why he scheduled two executions hours apart. He rarely comments on the execution pace, but previously mentioned that some on death row committed crimes in the 1980s.
Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly,he said.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, multiple executions on a single day were more common in the past, last occurring in 1964. Both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court denied final appeals for the two men. All Florida executions involve a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug.
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