STARKE, Fla. — Florida on Tuesday became the first state in nearly a decade to carry out two executions in a single day, putting an 80-year-old man and a former police officer to death via lethal injection at the Florida State Prison near Starke. This marked the first time since Arkansas executed two men three hours apart in 2017 that a state has planned virtually back-to-back capital punishments.
Back-to-Back Executions at Florida State Prison
The executions occurred just hours apart within the same death chamber. James Aren Duckett, 68, was executed first and pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m. Hours later, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, an octogenarian who is believed to be the second-oldest inmate known to receive a lethal injection in modern U.S. history, died at 6:13 p.m.
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis decided earlier this month to carry out both executions on the same day. Under Florida law, the governor has the authority to set execution dates. DeSantis stated that too many families have waited too long for justice and emphasized that "justice delayed is justice denied." He noted that he felt an obligation to ensure the process ran smoothly for victims' families.
Details of the Executions
Duckett, a former police officer convicted in 1987 of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee, declined to make a final statement. When asked if he wished to speak, he responded "no sir." Occhicone was convicted for killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 1986. Before the injection began at 6:02 p.m., he apologized to the victim's family and his own relatives.
"I know it don't mean much, but I'm sorry," Occhicone said. "I never meant to do what I did."
Nationwide Context and Political Impact
The pace of executions in Florida has drawn national attention. Since 2025 began, the state has carried out nearly half of all U.S. state executions. In total, Florida conducted 12 executions in 2026, more than any other state combined. This follows a record year for DeSantis last year with 19 executions.
While nationwide use of the death penalty had been declining for two decades prior to this surge, Florida's numbers have ticked up significantly under the current administration. Another execution is scheduled for August in Florida. Meanwhile, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty urged DeSantis to halt the executions, calling them an "unprecedented escalation" of capital punishment.
