Key facts
- Florida executed James Duckett, 68, on Tuesday, the first of two lethal injections planned for the day.
- Duckett was convicted of raping and murdering 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in 1987.
- Dominick Occhicone, 80, was scheduled for execution later Tuesday, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 1986.
- This marks Florida's first double execution since 1964.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen an increased pace of executions in Florida.
Florida carried out its first double execution in nearly 60 years on Tuesday, putting to death James Duckett, 68, who was convicted of the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Hours later, 80-year-old Dominick Occhicone, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 1986, was scheduled to be executed, which would make him the second-oldest inmate put to death in modern Florida history.
Governor Ron DeSantis has accelerated the state's use of the death penalty, with Duckett being the 11th inmate executed this year in Florida. The state has conducted nearly half of all executions nationwide since the start of 2025. Both men saw their final appeals denied by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Duckett's attorneys argued for his innocence and questioned the handling of DNA evidence, while Occhicone's legal team cited age-related health issues as grounds for a painful execution. The victim's family expressed relief, with McAbee's mother stating she had waited nearly 40 years for Duckett's death.