Florida prison authorities executed former police officer James Aren Duckett, 68, and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Florida State Prison.
The lethal injections marked the state's first double execution in a single day since 1964.
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Executions Carried Out Hours Apart
Duckett was pronounced dead at 1:19 p. m.
He was convicted in 1988 for the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Mascotte, Florida.
Hours later at 6:13 p. m.
, Occhicone was executed for the 1986 killings of his ex-girlfriend's parents in Pasco County. He became the oldest prisoner executed in modern state history.
The execution of Duckett was delayed over an hour while the U. S.
Supreme Court reviewed last-minute appeals requesting DNA testing on evidence from the 1987 case. Justice Clarence Thomas denied the final appeals without comment prior to the execution.
When asked if he had any last words while strapped to the gurney, Duckett offered a brief refusal.
"No sir," he said.
Victim's Family Reacts
Following the lethal injection, family members of the victim addressed reporters outside the facility. "I'm glad all of this is done.
I've waited 40 years to have him dead," said Dorothy McAbee Tula, the victim's mother.
Additional relatives highlighted Duckett's position as a law enforcement officer at the time of the crime.
"This man took advantage of his badge," said Tracy Mcfall-Buskirk, the victim's cousin.
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