Florida Executes Two in Historic Day | Miami News

Florida executed two men in one day — the first time in nearly a decade — sparking national attention. James Aren Duckett, 68, was put to death for raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl in 1987, while 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone was executed for killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. Both had their last-ditch appeals rejected by the Supreme Court. Duckett’s lawyers claimed innocence and mishandled DNA evidence; Occhicone’s team raised concerns over his age and health. Governor Ron DeSantis, in his final term, is accelerating executions — Florida now leads the nation in lethal injections this year, accounting for nearly half of all executions since 2025 began. Victims’ families hailed the verdicts as long-overdue justice, while critics question the system’s fairness and pace. 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/72ef564ca0461b85