Key facts
- Florida executed James Robertson, 63, on Tuesday via lethal injection.
- Robertson was convicted of murdering his cellmate in 2008.
- Florida's execution protocol is described as humane and dignified.
- William Lee Thompson's death warrant was withdrawn by Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday.
- Christa Pike's execution attempt in Tennessee on September 30 was botched.
- Robertson withdrew all appeals on October 5.
Florida executed James Robertson, 63, on Tuesday using lethal injection, marking the state's first execution since a botched attempt in Tennessee involving Christa Pike in September. Robertson was pronounced dead at 12:32 p.m. ET after receiving a three-shot series of lethal injections.
Robertson was convicted of the 2008 killing of his cellmate, Frank Hart, and had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, confessing he committed the crime unprovoked to be placed on death row. His execution proceeded after a circuit court accepted his request to withdraw all appeals.
Florida corrections department spokesperson Jordan Kirkland stated that the state has a "sound lethal injection process and protocol" and is committed to carrying out executions in a "humane and dignified manner," declining to comment on the Tennessee incident.
The execution of Robertson, who was the 17th prisoner executed by Florida in 2026, resumed an aggressive use of the death penalty under Governor Ron DeSantis. A second execution planned for Tuesday, for William Lee Thompson, 74, was called off after DeSantis withdrew the death warrant, citing concerns about Thompson's mental state.
Thompson's attorneys claim he suffers from dementia and believes George W. Bush is still president. He remains on death row, and a new death warrant could be signed.
If two other scheduled executions proceed as planned, Florida will tie its 2025 record of 19 executions in a calendar year. William Reaves is scheduled to die on October 20 for a 1986 murder, and Jesse Guardado is set for November 5 for a 2004 murder.
In Tennessee, authorities have not yet announced a new execution date for Pike, who was convicted of murder in 1995. Her lawyers are seeking to commute her sentence to life without parole.