Florida Executes Two in Historic Day | US News

Florida executed two men in one day — a rare and historic move — as Governor Ron DeSantis continues his aggressive push on capital punishment. James Duckett, a former police officer convicted of raping and drowning an 11-year-old in 1987, was put to death first. Later, 80-year-old Dominick Occhicone, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986, became the second-oldest person executed in modern U.S. history. Both had exhausted all appeals, including denials from the U.S. Supreme Court. With 29 executions already carried out in 2025 — nearly half the nation’s total — Florida has become the most active death penalty state since 2017, signaling a dramatic escalation under DeSantis, who is set to leave office soon. 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/0d1be20668261c95