Florida Executes Long-Serving Death Row Inmate | Jacksonville News

Florida’s governor has signed the death warrant for Harold Gene Lucas, set to become the state’s 14th execution under his leadership — a grim milestone amid a surge in lethal injections. At 74, Lucas, convicted for brutally murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend Jill Piper in 1976 and attempting to kill her friends, has spent nearly 50 years on death row. The crime: a violent home invasion fueled by rage, leaving Piper dead and her friends alive thanks to their hiding. Despite claims of memory loss due to drugs and alcohol, Lucas was convicted and sentenced to death — a sentence upheld through decades of appeals. His execution looms just two days after Florida’s first double execution in 60 years, underscoring a troubling acceleration in the state’s capital punishment machinery. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/89aec1a0607d64ca