Context:

Florida plans to execute two death row inmates on the same day for the first time in over six decades, following a lifted stay in one case. James Aren Duckett, 68, and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, would be executed on July 28, reflecting a broader trend of intensified capital punishment under Governor Ron DeSantis, who oversaw a record number of executions in 2025. The two cases involve Duckett, convicted of raping and drowning the 11-year-old girl in 1987, and Occhicone, who killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. Appeals will route through the U.S. Supreme Court, but the state emphasizes delivering justice for victims decades after their crimes. The plan marks a historic scheduling of dual executions and highlights ongoing questions about DNA testing and the age of inmates on death row.

Dive Deeper:

• Duckett, 68, is set to die at noon on July 28 at Florida State Prison near Starke after a death warrant signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis; the case centers on the 1987 killing of an 11-year-old girl while he was a police officer.

• Occhicone, 80, is scheduled for execution at 6 p.m. on the same day for killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986, representing another high-profile death row case pending final federal review.

• The executions would mark the first time Florida scheduled two inmates to die on the same day since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty and would bring the year’s total to 12 if carried out as planned.

• A prior stay in Duckett’s case was eased after DNA testing of old evidence yielded inconclusive results; judges allowed the original verdict to stand and the stay was lifted earlier this month.

• Duckett’s defense contends the state rushed to execute in the face of lingering guilt questions, while supporters argue that delaying justice for victims’ families is unacceptable and emphasize closure for those affected.

• Governor DeSantis has publicly linked higher execution numbers to delivering justice for victims, noting a desire to proceed decisively with death sentences from the 1980s era.

• Florida’s execution method remains lethal injection, combining a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug, with the state noting the procedural framework for carrying out such sentences.