On Tuesday, Florida became the first state in nearly a decade to execute two men on a single day, ending the lives of 80-year-old Dominick Occhicine and 68-year-old James Aren Duckett. Both were executed by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison near Starke. This action marks a significant milestone under the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who has prioritized the rapid execution of death row inmates to close old cases that have left families waiting for justice for decades.
Details of Executions at Florida State Prison
James Aren Duckett was the first to be executed that day and was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m. After the procedure, his family made no final statements and showed little response when the warden attempted to communicate with him minutes after the injection began. Occhicine died hours later, at 6:13 p.m., becoming the oldest prisoner executed in Florida since modern records began a century ago.
Duckett was convicted of raping and drowning Teresa McAbee, an 11-year-old girl, while she worked as a police officer in central Florida in 1987. For his part, Occhicine had been convicted of the murder of his ex-girlfriend's parents in 1986. The lawyers for both men filed final appeals that were denied by state and federal supreme courts before the executions.
The Role of Governor DeSantis
Governor Ron DeSantis, who has the legal authority to set execution dates in Florida, decided earlier this month to carry out both executions on the same day. This decision has been described by his administration as a way to ensure that "justice is not delayed," responding to the long waits of victims' families.
DeSantis has made Florida's death chamber the most active in the country in recent years during his time in office. In 2025, Florida executed 30 people, while all other states combined carried out only 35 executions during the same period. This year, so far, 19 national executions have been carried out, with clearly leading the figures, a story we covered in Florida Executes Two Men in One Day at State Prison.
Reactions and Legal Context
While victims' families expressed relief after decades of waiting, groups such as Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty criticized the decision. The group's executive director, Grace Hanna, stated that Florida is expanding the use of capital punishment despite evidence that it is not what citizens desire.
The executions were carried out via a lethal injection composed of a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart. Although multiple executions on a single day were more common historically until 1964, the speed of this event has sparked debate over legal procedures and the final application of capital punishment in the United States.
