Florida upholds justice with two executions, including 80-year-old, under DeSantis’s strong leadership
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Florida will execute two convicted murderers on Tuesday, including an 80-year-old, marking a historic day for law and order in the state. Governor DeSantis continues his tough-on-crime stance, delivering long-overdue justice for victims and their families despite opposition from anti-death penalty activists.
Florida officials are set to carry out two executions on Tuesday, demonstrating the state’s unwavering commitment to justice and public safety. Former police officer James Aren Duckett, 68, will receive a lethal injection at noon at the state prison near Starke, followed by 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone six hours later. Duckett was convicted of the heinous 1987 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, while Occhicone was sentenced for the brutal 1986 murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. Both men had their appeals denied by the Florida Supreme Court last week, with only last-minute petitions pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
These executions will mark the 11th and 12th in Florida this year, and the first double execution since 1964, underscoring the state’s resolve to enforce the law. Governor Ron DeSantis, leaving office in January, has overseen 19 executions in 2025—the most by any Florida governor since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976. If Tuesday’s executions proceed, his final two years will have seen 31 executions, a testament to his dedication to protecting Floridians and delivering closure to victims’ families.
While advocacy groups like Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty continue to criticize the governor’s tough stance, DeSantis remains focused on his duty to uphold the law. He has repeatedly stated that his priority is to provide closure for victims’ families and ensure that justice is served, only proceeding when guilt is certain.
Occhicone will become the oldest inmate executed in Florida’s modern history and the second-oldest in the U.S. since 1976, following Alabama’s execution of an 83-year-old in 2018. The Florida Department of Corrections uses a proven protocol of sedative, paralytic, and heart-stopping drugs to carry out executions, ensuring the process is swift and effective. Florida’s actions send a clear message: the state will not tolerate violent crime, and justice will be served.