1+ hour, 2+ min ago  (160+ words) On Thursday, May 21, a St. Lucie County recommended the death penalty for Otto Lenke for killing Richard Benson in February 2021 by a vote of 11-1. Earlier this month, a St. Lucie County jury convicted Otto Lenke of first-degree murder for killing…...

6+ day, 17+ hour ago  (143+ words) Richard Knight's execution is set for Thursday, May 21. On Friday, the Florida Supreme Court issued a decision affirming the circuit court's denial of his postconviction claims and denying his request for a stay of execution. First, the Court affirmed the…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (343+ words) Duckett's execution was previously scheduled for March 31, 2026, but was stayed pending litigation related to DNA testing. On April 30, the Florida Supreme Court reversed the circuit court's decision denying Duckett additional analysis of DNA evidence and remanded the case for further…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago  (445+ words) Richard Knight's execution is set for May 21. Here's the update on pending litigation as of May 5. When Gov. De Santis signed his death warrant, Knight had a habeas petition pending at the Florida Supreme Court. (You can view the docket…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago  (476+ words) Yesterday, Gov. De Santis signed a death warrant scheduling Andrew Lukehart's execution for June 2, 2026. It is the ninth so far this year. (You can view the full list here.) Shortly after the warrant, the Florida Supreme Court issued its standard…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (129+ words) Tracking Florida's Death Penalty Donald "Lenny" Banks was originally sentenced to death in Duval County in for killing Linda Volum in 2005. The jury recommended death by a vote of 10-2. After Hurst, 1 Banks was granted a new penalty phase. His new…...

1+ mon, 1+ day ago  (769+ words) Less than 24-hours after the State executed Chadwick Willacy, Gov. De Santis has signed a death warrant scheduling Richard Knight's execution for May 21. In an apparent copy/paste error, the death warrant issued today includes James Hitchcock's name. It is…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (343+ words) This week, Attorney General Uthmeier announced a new task force for investigating and prosecuting cold cases. The press conference is viewable at the link below: The press release is available here and says in part: Through this initiative, the Office…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (36+ words) Tracking Florida's Death Penalty Charlotte County: William Tulenko sentenced to death After pleading guilty to murdering his inmate at Charlotte Correctional Institution, a circuit court sentenced William Tulenko to death....

1+ mon, 3+ week ago  (994+ words) Yesterday, Gov. De Santis signed a death warrant scheduling James E. Hitchcock's execution for April 30 at 6: 00 p. m. It is the seventh death warrant issued in the State this year. (For a full list, see this page maintained by TFDP.) Shortly after the…...