On a recent Tuesday in Starke, Florida, a former police officer convicted of a heinous crime was executed, followed by another inmate, marking a rare event of two state executions in one day. This execution was the first of its kind since Arkansas conducted back-to-back executions in 2017. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has intensified the pace of executions, leading the nation this year.
James Aren Duckett, 68, was executed at 1:19 p.m. at Florida State Prison. He was the 11th person executed by the state that year. Duckett was found guilty of raping and drowning an 11-year-old girl while serving as a police officer in 1987. He declined to make any final remarks during the execution process.
Later that day, 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone faced execution, making him the oldest prisoner executed in Florida’s modern era. Occhicone was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. This execution was set to bring the total number of executions in Florida that year to 29, out of a national count of 35.
Both men had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court; however, their appeals were rejected. Duckett’s defense argued his innocence, citing handling of DNA evidence as a problem, while Occhicone’s team pointed to his age-related health issues, arguing they would lead to a painful execution.
DeSantis, not explaining the scheduling of two executions within hours, left the matter to prison officials, who assured readiness. Florida’s execution method involves a three-drug protocol, which includes a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart. The state followed proper procedures despite Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty urging a halt.
Governor DeSantis, closing his term in January, oversaw a record 19 executions in just one year. Florida’s execution rate has starkly increased under his leadership compared to previous years. DeSantis stressed justice for victims’ families, acknowledging their long waits.
Occhicone’s pending execution followed the withdrawal of a previous stay for Duckett. Florida’s last instance of multiple executions on the same day dates back to 1964. Occhicone’s impending execution would make him the second-oldest executed in modern U.S. history, following the 2018 execution of 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. in Alabama.