UPDATED — July 28, 2026
STARKE, Fla. — Florida executed two convicted murderers Tuesday, completing the state’s first same-day double execution since 1964.
James Aren Duckett, 68, was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison. Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, was executed Tuesday evening at the same prison, becoming the oldest person put to death in Florida history, according to the Associated Press.
The executions occurred several hours apart. No state had executed two people on the same day since Arkansas conducted a double execution in 2017.
The executions occurred several hours apart. No state had executed two people on the same day since Arkansas conducted a double execution in 2017.
Duckett and Occhicone became the 11th and 12th people executed in Florida during 2026.
Duckett Executed for Murder of 11-Year-Old Girl
Duckett was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Lake County in 1987.
Duckett was a Mascotte police officer and the only officer patrolling the city on the night McAbee disappeared. Evidence presented at trial showed that he encountered the child after she left her home to purchase a pencil.
McAbee’s body was later discovered in a lake. Prosecutors said physical evidence and witness testimony connected Duckett to the crime.
Duckett declined to make a final statement before the execution. He was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m., according to witnesses cited by the Associated Press.
DNA Testing Delayed Duckett’s Execution
Duckett had originally been scheduled for execution earlier in 2026, but the Florida Supreme Court temporarily halted the procedure to allow additional DNA testing.
His attorneys argued that biological evidence collected during the murder investigation could raise questions about his conviction. The resulting tests were inconclusive and did not exonerate Duckett or definitively identify another person as the perpetrator.
The Florida Supreme Court subsequently lifted the stay after concluding that the testing did not create a reasonable probability of a different outcome at trial.
Duckett’s remaining legal challenges were unsuccessful, allowing the execution to proceed Tuesday afternoon.
Occhicone Becomes Florida’s Oldest Executed Prisoner
Occhicone was convicted of killing Raymond and Martha Artzner at their Pasco County home in 1986. He received a death sentence for Martha Artzner’s murder.
Prosecutors said Occhicone had been drinking at a bar operated by the Artzners’ daughter before going to the couple’s home and shooting them.
The state argued that Occhicone had threatened the couple because of disputes connected to his relationship with their daughter.
Occhicone was 80 when Florida carried out his death sentence Tuesday evening, making him the oldest person executed in the state’s history.
The Florida Department of Corrections had scheduled the execution process to begin at 6 p.m., according to the department’s official media-briefing schedule.
Courts Reject Occhicone’s Final Challenges
Occhicone’s attorneys sought to stop the execution based partly on his age and physical condition.
They argued that kidney and prostate ailments could affect the lethal-injection process and create an increased risk of severe pain. The state disputed those arguments.
The Florida Supreme Court rejected Occhicone’s challenge, concluding that he had not demonstrated that Florida’s execution protocol would violate the Constitution.
His attorneys also challenged the nonunanimous jury recommendation underlying his death sentence. Jurors recommended death by a 7-5 vote under the law in effect when Occhicone was sentenced.
The court determined that subsequent changes to Florida’s death-penalty requirements did not invalidate his sentence.
Occhicone also sought relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. The application is recorded in the court’s official docket, but the execution was ultimately allowed to proceed.
First Florida Double Execution in 62 Years
Florida had not executed two people on the same day since May 12, 1964, when Sie Dawson and Robert Lee Copeland were put to death in the electric chair.
Tuesday’s executions ended that 62-year gap and continued an unusually active period for Florida’s death penalty.
Duckett was the 11th person executed by Florida in 2026. Occhicone became the 12th later Tuesday.
The completed executions also marked the first time any state had executed two prisoners on the same day since Arkansas executed Jack Jones and Marcel Williams in April 2017.
Executions Conducted at Florida State Prison
Both executions were conducted at Florida State Prison in Bradford County.
The institution contains Florida’s execution chamber, although most male prisoners sentenced to death are housed at nearby Union Correctional Institution.
Florida primarily uses a three-drug lethal-injection protocol to carry out death sentences. State law also permits electrocution when selected by the condemned prisoner.
The Florida Department of Corrections establishes separate media-access, witness and security procedures for each execution.
Final Occhicone Details Awaited
The completed executions establish the historic same-day milestone. However, the Florida Department of Corrections had not immediately published all final details from Occhicone’s execution.
Those details include his official time of death, whether he made a final statement and whether prison officials reported any complications during the procedure.
No complication had been independently confirmed at the time of this update.
The Florida Pundit will update this report when the department releases its final execution briefing.
Sources and Documents
- Florida Department of Corrections: Occhicone execution briefing
- Florida Supreme Court decision in Occhicone’s case
- U.S. Supreme Court docket
- Florida State Prison official facility page
- Associated Press report on both executions
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