Capital punishment in Florida
Encyclopedia
Capital punishment
is legal in the U.S. state
of Florida
. Florida was the first state to reintroduce the death penalty after the Supreme Court of the United States
struck down all statutes in the country in the 1972 Furman v. Georgia
decision, and the first to perform a post-Furman involuntary execution in 1979. The only person until then who had been executed during the post-Furman period was Gary Gilmore
, who volunteered to be executed in Utah
, in 1977, effectively ending the national moratorium on the death penalty which had been in effect since 1967.
Since Furman, 71 people have been executed by the State of Florida, all at Florida State Prison
, which possesses the state's sole remaining death chamber
. Currently, 399 inmates are awaiting execution.
was not the only capital crime. People were also sentenced and executed for rape
(until the end of the pre-Furman period), and in earlier years also for aiding runaway slave
s.
Currently, Florida's capital crimes are:
As in any other state, people who are under 18 at the time of commission of the capital crime or mentally retarded are constitutionally precluded from being executed.
Due to the Supreme Court case Coker v. Georgia
in 1977, only those convicted of murder may receive the death penalty. Coker's holding however was specific in that the eighth amendment prohibited the death penalty for rape of an adult. The United States Supreme Court remained silent on the issue of death for rape of a child. The Florida Supreme Court however held that under the reasoning of Coker, death was a disproportionate penalty for rape of a child; the Court in doing so relied on the cruel or unusual punishment clause of the Florida State constitution which could have had a different meaning than the Constitution of the United States. Florida voters however approved an initiative that amended the Florida constitution to state that the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments found in the Constitution of the state of Florida has the same meaning and effect as the eight amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In 2008, the United States Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Louisiana
limited the death penalty to only crimes which result in an individual's death, crimes against the state (i.e. espionage, treason) or drug trafficking, relying on the Eighth Amendment in parallel with the ultimate holding of the Florida Supreme Court.
under a local jurisdiction, overseen and performed by the sheriffs of the counties where the crimes took place. However, in 1923, the Florida Legislature passed a law replacing hanging with the electric chair
and stated that all future execution will be performed under a state jurisdiction inside prisons.
A total of 223 people were electrocuted through 1964, all of whom were men. Before that, 117 were hanged. In addition, 44 were electrocuted after 1979.
Until 1941, sheriffs of the counties where the crimes were committed would perform the executions. Later, a black-hooded executioner, a private citizen who is paid $150 per execution, took over. This gave anonymity to the actual executioner.
Today, the only death chamber in Florida is located at Florida State Prison in Starke
. When sentenced, male convicts who receive the death penalty are incarcerated at either Florida State Prison itself, or at Union Correctional Institution next door to Florida State Prison, while female convicts who are sentenced to death are incarcerated at Lowell Correctional Institution north of Ocala
. Inmates are moved to the Death Row at Florida State Prison when their death warrant is signed.
Florida performed the first involuntary execution after the Supreme Court, in the 1976 case Gregg v. Georgia
, permitted the death penalty once more. John Arthur Spenkelink was electrocuted on May 25, 1979.
in 1990, Pedro Medina
in 1997, and Allen Lee Davis
in 1999). While most states switched to the lethal injection, many politicians in Florida opposed giving up "Old Sparky", seeing it as a deterrent. After Medina's execution, the Florida Senate voted unanimously to keep the chair, and the Florida House of Representatives concurred with only a few opposing votes, despite Governor Lawton Chiles
and Attorney General Bob Butterworth
suggestions to introduce injection. Lethal injection was introduced as a backup method if the electric chair were ever to be found unconstitutional.
Finally, after Davis execution, lethal injection became the primary method. Inmates, however, may still choose electrocution, though none have chosen this method since the Davis execution.
Between 1925 and 1965, 57 commutations were granted out of 268 cases. Since 1979, when the death penalty was re-instituted, only six commutations have been granted, all under the administration of Governor Bob Graham
.
, executed in 1998 for killing, at different times, her husband (1971) and son (1980). The second was Aileen Wuornos
, a serial killer
who was executed in 2002 for seven murders committed in 1989 and 1990.
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
is legal in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Florida was the first state to reintroduce the death penalty after the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
struck down all statutes in the country in the 1972 Furman v. Georgia
Furman v. Georgia
Furman v. Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty. The case led to a de facto moratorium on capital punishment throughout the United States, which came to an end when Gregg v. Georgia was...
decision, and the first to perform a post-Furman involuntary execution in 1979. The only person until then who had been executed during the post-Furman period was Gary Gilmore
Gary Gilmore
Gary Mark Gilmore was an American criminal, and murderer, who gained international notoriety for demanding that his own death sentence be fulfilled following two murders he committed in Utah. He became the first person executed in the United States after the U.S...
, who volunteered to be executed in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, in 1977, effectively ending the national moratorium on the death penalty which had been in effect since 1967.
Since Furman, 71 people have been executed by the State of Florida, all at Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
, which possesses the state's sole remaining death chamber
Execution chamber
An execution chamber, or death chamber, is a room or chamber in which a legal execution is carried out. Execution chambers are almost always inside the walls of a maximum-security prison, although not always at the same prison where the death row population is housed...
. Currently, 399 inmates are awaiting execution.
Crimes punishable by death
In the pre-Furman period, murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
was not the only capital crime. People were also sentenced and executed for rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
(until the end of the pre-Furman period), and in earlier years also for aiding runaway slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s.
Currently, Florida's capital crimes are:
- First-degree murder
- Felony murder
- Capital drug trafficking
- Capital Sexual Battery. Florida Statue 794.011.2.a states that "A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon, or in an attempt to commit sexual battery injures the sexual organs of, a person less than 12 years of age commits a capital felony."
As in any other state, people who are under 18 at the time of commission of the capital crime or mentally retarded are constitutionally precluded from being executed.
Due to the Supreme Court case Coker v. Georgia
Coker v. Georgia
Coker v. Georgia, , held that the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution forbade the death penalty for the crime of rape of a woman.-Facts:...
in 1977, only those convicted of murder may receive the death penalty. Coker's holding however was specific in that the eighth amendment prohibited the death penalty for rape of an adult. The United States Supreme Court remained silent on the issue of death for rape of a child. The Florida Supreme Court however held that under the reasoning of Coker, death was a disproportionate penalty for rape of a child; the Court in doing so relied on the cruel or unusual punishment clause of the Florida State constitution which could have had a different meaning than the Constitution of the United States. Florida voters however approved an initiative that amended the Florida constitution to state that the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments found in the Constitution of the state of Florida has the same meaning and effect as the eight amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In 2008, the United States Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Louisiana
Kennedy v. Louisiana
Kennedy v. Louisiana, 554 U.S. 407 was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that held that the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause did not permit a state to punish the crime of rape of a child with the death penalty; more broadly, the power of the state...
limited the death penalty to only crimes which result in an individual's death, crimes against the state (i.e. espionage, treason) or drug trafficking, relying on the Eighth Amendment in parallel with the ultimate holding of the Florida Supreme Court.
Method of executions
Florida used public hangingHanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
under a local jurisdiction, overseen and performed by the sheriffs of the counties where the crimes took place. However, in 1923, the Florida Legislature passed a law replacing hanging with the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
and stated that all future execution will be performed under a state jurisdiction inside prisons.
A total of 223 people were electrocuted through 1964, all of whom were men. Before that, 117 were hanged. In addition, 44 were electrocuted after 1979.
Until 1941, sheriffs of the counties where the crimes were committed would perform the executions. Later, a black-hooded executioner, a private citizen who is paid $150 per execution, took over. This gave anonymity to the actual executioner.
Florida's response to Furman
Florida performed its last pre-Furman execution in 1964 (Sie Dawson). After the Supreme Court of the United States struck down all states' death penalty procedures in the Furman v. Georgia ruling, essentially ruling the imposition of the death penalty at the same time as a guilty verdict unconstitutional, Florida was the first state to draft a newly-written statute on 12 August 1972. This statute mandates a separate penalty phase in cases where prosecutors seek the death penalty. Due to the Furman ruling, the death sentences of 95 men and one woman were commuted.Today, the only death chamber in Florida is located at Florida State Prison in Starke
Starke, Florida
Starke is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,593 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,769 ....
. When sentenced, male convicts who receive the death penalty are incarcerated at either Florida State Prison itself, or at Union Correctional Institution next door to Florida State Prison, while female convicts who are sentenced to death are incarcerated at Lowell Correctional Institution north of Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. Inmates are moved to the Death Row at Florida State Prison when their death warrant is signed.
Florida performed the first involuntary execution after the Supreme Court, in the 1976 case Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia, Proffitt v. Florida, Jurek v. Texas, Woodson v. North Carolina, and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 153 , reaffirmed the United States Supreme Court's acceptance of the use of the death penalty in the United States, upholding, in particular, the death sentence imposed on Troy Leon...
, permitted the death penalty once more. John Arthur Spenkelink was electrocuted on May 25, 1979.
Transition of execution methods
The electric chair became a subject of strong controversy in the 1990s after three executions received considerable media attention and were labeled as "botched" by opponents (Jesse TaferoJesse Tafero
Jesse Joseph Tafero , was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the state of Florida for the murders of Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip Black and Donald Irwin, a visiting Canadian constable and friend of Black...
in 1990, Pedro Medina
Pedro Medina
Pedro Luis Medina was a Cuban refugee who was executed by the state of Florida for the murder of a 52-year-old woman in Orlando...
in 1997, and Allen Lee Davis
Allen Lee Davis
Allen Lee Davis was a convicted murderer executed for the May 11, 1982 Jacksonville, Florida murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time...
in 1999). While most states switched to the lethal injection, many politicians in Florida opposed giving up "Old Sparky", seeing it as a deterrent. After Medina's execution, the Florida Senate voted unanimously to keep the chair, and the Florida House of Representatives concurred with only a few opposing votes, despite Governor Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
and Attorney General Bob Butterworth
Bob Butterworth
Robert A. Butterworth is an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Florida.-Early life and career:Butterworth was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and moved to Florida with his family as a child. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 1965,...
suggestions to introduce injection. Lethal injection was introduced as a backup method if the electric chair were ever to be found unconstitutional.
Finally, after Davis execution, lethal injection became the primary method. Inmates, however, may still choose electrocution, though none have chosen this method since the Davis execution.
Clemency
The Governor of Florida has the right to commute the death penalty, but only with positive recommendation of clemency from a Board, where he or she sits.Between 1925 and 1965, 57 commutations were granted out of 268 cases. Since 1979, when the death penalty was re-instituted, only six commutations have been granted, all under the administration of Governor Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
.
Women
Two women have been executed in Florida, both post-Furman. The first to be executed was Judy BuenoanoJudy Buenoano
Judias "Judy" Buenoano , was a convicted murderer who was executed for the 1971 murder of her husband James Goodyear. She was also convicted for the 1980 murder of her son Michael Goodyear, and of the 1983 attempted murder of her fiancé John Gentry...
, executed in 1998 for killing, at different times, her husband (1971) and son (1980). The second was Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Carol Wuornos was an American serial killer who killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990, claiming they raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute...
, a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who was executed in 2002 for seven murders committed in 1989 and 1990.
Controversy
Like many other states with capital punishment, there is concern about the execution of innocent persons, especially since the advent of DNA-based evidence has made it possible to re-examine evidence in older cases with blood and tissue evidence still intact. Some believe that Jesse Tafero, Leo Jones, and Pedro Medina may have been wrongly executed, but their cases were not re-examined prior to their executions.List of individuals executed since 1979
| Executed person | Date of execution | Method | Victim(s) | Under Governor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Arthur Spenkelink | 25 May 1979 | electric chair Electric chair Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body... |
Joseph J. Szymnkiewicz | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 2 | Robert Austin Sullivan | 30 November 1983 | electric chair | Donald Schmidt | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 3 | Anthony Antone | 26 January 1984 | electric chair | Richard Cloud | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 4 | Arthur Goode Arthur Frederick Goode III Arthur Frederick Goode, III was a convicted child murderer who was electrocuted in Florida in 1984.... |
5 April 1984 | electric chair | Jason VerDow | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 5 | James Adams | 10 April 1984 | electric chair | Edgar Brown | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 6 | Carl Shriner | 20 June 1984 | electric chair | Judith Ann Carter | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 7 | David Leroy Washington | 13 July 1984 | electric chair | Daniel Pridgen, Frank Meli, and Katrina Birk | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 8 | Ernest John Dobbert, Jr. | 7 September 1984 | electric chair | Kelley Dobbert and Ryder Dobbert | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 9 | James Dupree Henry | 20 September 1984 | electric chair | Zelie L. Riley | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 10 | Timothy Charles Palmes | 8 November 1984 | electric chair | James Stone | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 11 | James David Raulerson | 30 January 1985 | electric chair | Jacksonville[FL]Sheriff's Officer Mike Stewart | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 12 | Johnny Paul Witt | 4 March 1985 | electric chair | Jonathan Kushner | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 13 | Marvin Francois | 29 May 1985 | electric chair | Livingston Stocker, Henry Clayton, Randolph Holmes, Charles Stinson, Gilbert Williams, and Michael Miller | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 14 | Daniel Morris Thomas | 15 April 1986 | electric chair | Charles Anderson | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 15 | David Livingston Funchess | 22 April 1986 | electric chair | Anna Waldrop and Clayton Ragen | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 16 | Ronald John Michael Straight | 20 May 1986 | electric chair | James Stone | Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
| 17 | Beauford White | 28 August 1987 | electric chair | Livingston Stocker, Henry Clayton, Randolph Holms, Charles Stinson, Gilbert Williams, and Michael Miller | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 18 | Willie Jasper Darden | 15 March 1988 | electric chair | James Turman | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 19 | Jeffrey Josepth Daughtery | 7 November 1988 | electric chair | Lavonne Sailer, Betty Campbell, Carmen Abrams, and Elizabeth Shanks | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 20 | Ted Bundy Ted Bundy Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier... |
24 January 1989 | electric chair | Kimberly Leach, Lisa Levy, Margaret Bowman, and others | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 21 | Aubrey Dennis Adams, Jr. | 4 May 1989 | electric chair | Trisa Gail Thomley | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 22 | Jesse Tafero Jesse Tafero Jesse Joseph Tafero , was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the state of Florida for the murders of Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip Black and Donald Irwin, a visiting Canadian constable and friend of Black... |
4 May 1990 | electric chair | FHP Florida Highway Patrol The Division of the Florida Highway Patrol is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the law enforcement agency charged with ensuring the safety of the highways and roads of the state.-History:... Trooper Phillip Black and OPP Ontario Provincial Police The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas... Constable Donald Irwin |
Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 23 | Anthony Bertolotti | 27 July 1990 | electric chair | Carol Ward | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 24 | James William Hamblen | 21 September 1990 | electric chair | Laureen Jean Edwards | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 25 | Raymond Robert Clark | 19 November 1990 | electric chair | David Drake | Bob Martinez Bob Martinez Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :... |
| 26 | Roy Allen Harich | 24 April 1991 | electric chair | Carlene Kelly | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 27 | Bobby Marion Francis | 25 June 1991 | electric chair | Titus Walters | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 28 | Nollie Lee Martin | 12 May 1992 | electric chair | Patricia Greenfield | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 29 | Edward Dean Kennedy | 21 July 1992 | electric chair | Floyd Cone, Jr. and Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Robert McDernon,Sr. | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 30 | Robert Dale Henderson, Sr. | 21 April 1993 | electric chair | Murray Ferderber, Dorothy Wilkerson, Ivan Barnett, Marie Barnett, and Clifford Barnett | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 31 | Larry Joe Johnson | 5 May 1993 | electric chair | James Hadden | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 32 | Michael Alan Durocher | 25 August 1993 | electric chair | Joshua Durocher, Grace Reed, and Candice Reed | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 33 | Roy Allen Stewart | 22 April 1994 | electric chair | Margaret Haizlip | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 34 | Bernard Bolander | 18 July 1995 | electric chair | Rudolfi Ayan, Sr., Nico Hernandez, John Merino, and Scott Bennett | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 35 | Jerry White Jerry White (criminal) Jerry White was executed by electric chair by the state of Florida in 1995 for the murder of James Melson, a shopper in a grocery that Mr. White robbed in Orange County in 1981. Mr... |
4 December 1995 | electric chair | James Melson | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 36 | Phillip Alexander Atkins | 5 December 1995 | electric chair | Antonio Castillo | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 37 | John Earl Bush | 21 October 1996 | electric chair | Frances Julia Slater | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 38 | John Mills, Jr. | 6 December 1996 | electric chair | Les Lawhon | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 39 | Pedro Medina Pedro Medina Pedro Luis Medina was a Cuban refugee who was executed by the state of Florida for the murder of a 52-year-old woman in Orlando... |
25 March 1997 | electric chair | Dorothy James | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 40 | Gerald Eugene Stano Gerald Stano Gerald Eugene Stano was an American convicted serial killer. He killed at least 22 women; he confessed killing 41-Early life:He was born in Schenectady, New York. His given name at birth was Paul Zeininger... |
23 March 1998 | electric chair | Cathy Lee Scharf | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 41 | Leo Alexander Jones | 24 March 1998 | electric chair | Jacksonville [FL] Sheriff's Officer Thomas Szarfranski | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 42 | Judy Buenoano Judy Buenoano Judias "Judy" Buenoano , was a convicted murderer who was executed for the 1971 murder of her husband James Goodyear. She was also convicted for the 1980 murder of her son Michael Goodyear, and of the 1983 attempted murder of her fiancé John Gentry... |
30 March 1998 | electric chair | James Goodyear | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 43 | Daniel Eugene Remeta | 31 March 1998 | electric chair | Mearle Reeder, Linda Marvin, Larry McFarland, and Glenn Moore | Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
| 44 | Allen Lee Davis Allen Lee Davis Allen Lee Davis was a convicted murderer executed for the May 11, 1982 Jacksonville, Florida murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time... |
8 July 1999 | electric chair | Nancy Weiler, Kristina Weiler, and Katherine Weiler | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 45 | Terry Melvin Sims | 23 February 2000 | lethal injection Lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide... |
George Pfeil | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 46 | Anthony Braden Bryan | 24 February 2000 | lethal injection | George Wilson | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 47 | Bennie Eddie Demps | 7 June 2000 | lethal injection | Alfred Sturgis, Celia Puhlick, and R.N. Brinkworth | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 48 | Thomas Harrison Provenzano Thomas Harrison Provenzano Thomas Harrison Provenzano was a convicted murderer executed by means of lethal injection by the state of Florida... |
21 June 2000 | lethal injection | Deputy Sheriff William Wilkerson, Deputy Sheriff Harry Dalton (died in 1991), Corrections Officer Mark Parker (died in 2009) | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 49 | Dan Patrick Hauser | 25 August 2000 | lethal injection | Melanie Rodrigues | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 50 | Edward Castro | 7 December 2000 | lethal injection | Austin Carter Scott | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 51 | Robert Dewey Glock, II | 11 January 2001 | lethal injection | Sharilyn Ritchie | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 52 | Rigoberto Sanchez-Velasco | 2 October 2002 | lethal injection | Katixa Ecenarro | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 53 | Aileen Carol Wuornos Aileen Wuornos Aileen Carol Wuornos was an American serial killer who killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990, claiming they raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute... |
9 October 2002 | lethal injection | Richard Mallory, Dick Humphreys, Charles Carskaddon, Troy Burress, Peter Siems, Walter Jeno Antonio, and David Spears | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 54 | Linroy Bottoson | 9 December 2002 | lethal injection | Catherine Alexander | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 55 | Amos Lee King, Jr. | 26 February 2003 | lethal injection | Natalie Brady | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 56 | Newton Carlton Slawson | 16 May 2003 | lethal injection | Gerald Wood, Peggy Wood, Jennifer Wood, and Glendon Wood | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 57 | Paul Jennings Hill Paul Jennings Hill Paul Jennings Hill was the first person in the United States to be executed for murdering a doctor who performed abortions.-Early life:... |
3 September 2003 | lethal injection | John Bayard Britton and James Herman Barrett | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 58 | Johnny Leartice Robinson Johnny Leartice Robinson Johnny Leartice Robinson was executed by the State of Florida for the 1985 murder of Beverly St. George.... |
4 February 2004 | lethal injection | Beverly St. George | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 59 | John Richard Blackwelder | 26 May 2004 | lethal injection | Raymond D. Wigley | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 60 | Glen James Ocha | 5 April 2005 | lethal injection | Carol Skjerva | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 61 | Clarence Edward Hill Clarence Hill (murderer) Clarence Edward Hill was a convicted murderer executed by the state of Florida.A native of Mobile, Alabama, Hill was convicted of the October 19, 1982 murder of Pensacola, Florida police officer Stephen Taylor and the wounding of Taylor's partner, Larry Bailly, when the two officers responded to a... |
20 September 2006 | lethal injection | Stephen Taylor | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 62 | Arthur Dennis Rutherford | 19 October 2006 | lethal injection | Stella Salamon | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 63 | Danny Harold Rolling | 25 October 2006 | lethal injection | Sonja Larson, Christina Powell, Christa Hoyt, Manuel R. Taboada, and Tracy Inez Paules | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 64 | Ángel Nieves Díaz Ángel Nieves Díaz Ángel Nieves Díaz was a Puerto Rican convict who was executed by lethal injection in Raiford, Florida. Nieves Díaz was convicted for shooting and killing the manager of a strip club in 1979... |
13 December 2006 | lethal injection | Joseph Nagy | Jeb Bush Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W... |
| 65 | Mark Dean Schwab | 1 July 2008 | lethal injection | Junny Rios-Martinez, Jr. | Charlie Crist Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... |
| 66 | Richard Henyard Richard Henyard Richard Henyard was an American murderer on death row in Florida, convicted for the double murder of 7-year-old Jamilya Lewis and 3-year-old Jasmine Lewis in January 1993 in Eustis, and the rape of the sisters' mother during the same day.-Crimes:On the evening of January 30, 1993, Dorothy Lewis... |
23 September 2008 | lethal injection | Jamilya and Jasmine Lewis | Charlie Crist Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... |
| 67 | Wayne Tompkins | 11 February 2009 | lethal injection | Lisa DeCarr | Charlie Crist Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... |
| 68 | John Richard Marek John Marek (murderer) John Richard Marek was a death row inmate at Florida State Prison for the rape and murder of a woman in 1983... |
19 August 2009 | lethal injection | Adella Marie Simmons | Charlie Crist Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... |
| 69 | Martin Edward Grossman Martin Grossman Martin Edward Grossman was convicted of first degree murder for his part in the December 13, 1984, Florida killing of wildlife officer Peggy Park. He was executed by lethal injection... |
16 February 2010 | lethal injection | Wildlife Officer Margaret "Peggy" Park | Charlie Crist Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... |
| 70 | Manuel Valle | 28 September 2011 | lethal injection | Police officer Louis Pena | Rick Scott |
| 71 | Oba Chandler Oba Chandler Oba Chandler was an American convicted rapist and murderer who was put to death via lethal injection for the June 1989 triple murders of a woman and her two daughters whose bodies were found in Tampa Bay, Florida. All three were discovered floating with their hands and feet bound, concrete blocks... |
15 November 2011 | lethal injection | Joan Rogers, Michelle Rogers and Christe Rogers | Rick Scott |
