Tallahassee, Fla. — The State of Florida executed two men on Tuesday, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the state has carried out multiple capital punishments within a 24-hour period. Dominick Anthony Occhicone, an 80-year-old inmate, and James Aren Duckett, a former police officer aged 68, were pronounced dead by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. The executions followed a decision by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to schedule both men for death on the same day during his final term in office.
Back-to-Back Executions at Florida State Prison
Duckett was executed first, with officials pronouncing him dead at 1:19 p.m. He had been convicted of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in 1987 while serving as a police officer in central Florida. During the procedure, Duckett declined to make a final statement when asked by prison staff.
Less than five hours later, Occhicone was executed at 6:13 p.m. Convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986, Occhicone is recorded as the oldest prisoner executed in Florida since modern record-keeping began a century ago. His execution involved a three-drug injection protocol consisting of a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a drug to stop the heart.
DeSantis Accelerates Death Penalty Pace
Governor DeSantis has made Florida’s death chamber the most active in the nation. Since 2025 began, Florida has carried out nearly half of all state executions across the United States. The governor stated that he scheduled the dual execution to ensure justice was served for families who have waited decades for resolution.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," DeSantis said last year regarding his approach to capital punishment. He added, "I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly." The decision to combine the warrants came after the Florida Supreme Court removed a stay on Duckett’s execution in July.
Legal Challenges and Victim Impact
The U.S. Supreme Court denied final appeals from both men, while the Florida Supreme Court had previously rejected stays for Occhicone. Defense attorneys for Occhicone argued that his age-related ailments, including kidney and prostate problems, could make the execution constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
For Duckett’s victim's family, the executions provided a sense of closure after decades of waiting. Dorothy Tula, the mother of Teresa McAbee, stated before breaking down in tears that she waited nearly 40 years to see her daughter's killer executed. Tracy Mcfall-Buskirk, the girl's cousin, noted that Duckett had taken advantage of his badge as a police officer.
Despite these outcomes, advocacy groups such as Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty have urged DeSantis to halt executions, calling the recent pace an "unprecedented escalation." The group’s executive director, Grace Hanna, argued that Florida continues to expand capital punishment despite evidence suggesting it is not what most residents desire.
