Florida executes man in first of two lethal injections planned in single day

Florida executed James Aren Duckett, a former police officer convicted of rape and murder, on Tuesday, marking the first of two lethal injections scheduled for that day. This is the first time in nearly a decade that a state has carried out two executions in a single day. Governor Ron DeSantis has made Florida the nation's busiest death chamber, with the state accounting for nearly half of all executions nationwide since the start of 2025. Duckett, 68, was convicted of raping and drowning an 11-year-old girl in 1987. Later that evening, 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone was scheduled to be executed for a 1986 double murder. Both men had last-ditch appeals denied.

Florida is scheduled to carry out its first double execution in a single day since 1976, with James Duckett and Dominick Occhicone set to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday. This rare event, overseen by Governor Ron DeSantis, has drawn criticism from rights groups concerned about the secrecy surrounding the process and the potential for "torturous" deaths due to haste. Florida has significantly increased its execution rate, carrying out 19 executions last year. Experts warn that rushing executions increases the risk of botched procedures, and concerns have been raised about Florida's use of expired or improperly dosed execution drugs. Both condemned men have cases with complexities, including divided jury recommendations for the death penalty and unresolved innocence claims.