The two men set to be put to death were both convicted of murder
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NEED TO KNOW
- The state of Florida is scheduled to execute two people on the same day, per reports
- It would mark the first time the state has executed two people on the same day since 1964
- Both men on death row were convicted of murder. One maintains his innocence
The state of Florida is set to carry out the executions of two men on the same day.
James Duckett, 68, and Dominick Occhicone, 80, are both scheduled to be put to death via lethal injection on Tuesday, July 28, according to reports from the Tallahassee Democrat, the Orlando Sentinel and CNN.
Unless there is a stay of execution for either man, it will mark the first time since 1964 that Florida executed two people on the same day, state records indicate.
Per CNN, the last time a state executed more than one person on the same day was Arkansas in 2017. Before that, Texas did the same in 2000.
Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told The Guardian that two executions in one day is “incredibly rare.”
“That is consistent with the secrecy that has surrounded every execution, and every execution decision, that Florida is making these days,” Maher told the paper.
The execution of Duckett, a former police officer who was convicted of the 1987 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, was scheduled for noon Eastern, according to the outlets.
According to CNN, Duckett’s attorneys maintain that their client is innocent, citing inconclusive DNA results.
“The State’s duty is to ensure that justice is done, and not rush to kill in a case with such serious doubts over guilt,” his attorneys told CNN. “We are committed to seeking every avenue of relief for Mr. Duckett ahead of his scheduled July 28 execution so that the State of Florida does not execute an innocent man.”
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The Sentinel reported that recently tested DNA did not definitively link Duckett to the crime, nor did it exonerate him. As a result, judges allowed his conviction to stand.
Occhicone, per the outlets, was convicted of killing his ex’s parents in 1986. His execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. and if it is carried out, he would be the oldest person ever executed in Florida.
According to the Sentinel, Occhicone’s attorneys have argued that his execution should be stayed because he has health ailments that could potentially make the process more painful, thus making it cruel and unusual punishment.
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