Florida executes convicted murderer, child rapist by lethal injection after SCOTUS denies appeals

A Florida antheral convicted successful the brutal 1993 killings of an 8-year-old miss and her grandma was executed by lethal injection connected Thursday aft the Supreme Court denied his appeals.

Edward James, 63, was pronounced dormant astatine 8:15 p.m. astatine a Florida State Prison adjacent the metropolis of Starke. Before helium was executed, helium said helium did not privation to springiness a last statement, according to The Associated Press.

A assemblage voted 11-1 to condemnation James to decease aft helium pleaded blameworthy to the Sept. 19, 1993, murders of Toni Neuner, 8, and her grandmother, 58-year-old Betty Dick.

James' last appeals to his execution were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier connected Thursday, which allowed for his decease condemnation to determination forward.

FLORIDA MAN CONVICTED FOR RAPING, KILLING 8-YEAR-OLD, MURDERING HER GRANDMA ASKS SCOTUS TO BLOCK EXECUTION 

Edward James, 63, was executed by the State of Florida connected Thursday for the 1993 murders of 8-year-old Toni Neuner and her grandmother, 58-year-old Betty Dick. (Florida Department of Corrections)

When the onslaught took place, James had been renting a country successful Dick's house, which was astir 10 miles northbound of Orlando. Neuner and 3 different children were astatine the location the nighttime of the deadly attack, though the different 3 children were not harmed.

Before helium returned to his country astatine the home, tribunal records showed that James drank up to 24 beers and immoderate liquor, and took LSD.

Neuner was raped and strangled to death, portion Dick was stabbed 21 times. After sidesplitting them, James stole the woman's jewelry and her car, past drove crossed the state to Bakersfield, California, wherever helium was arrested connected Oct. 6, 1993.

James admitted to some crimes during a videotaped confession with police.

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Several appeals arguing that James had cognitive issues that should support him from execution were filed with authorities and national courts, but each were denied.

Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an statement from James' lawyers that his longtime cause and intoxicant usage combined with caput injuries and a bosom onslaught successful 2023 led to a "mental decline" that would marque execution cruel and antithetic punishment.

Edward James died by lethal injection aft Florida authorities administered the state's three-drug cocktail. (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

In the denial, the justices agreed with a little court's determination that stated cognitive issues did not shield James from his decease sentence. James' lawyers besides attempted to reason that the bosom onslaught helium experienced successful situation led to oxygen deprivation that affected his brain, which should person been grounds for halting execution plans, but the tribunal denied that too.

In Florida, decease enactment inmates who take lethal injection person a three-drug cocktail consisting of a sedative, a paralytic and a heart-stopping drug, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

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James' execution marked the 2nd 1 to instrumentality spot successful the Sunshine State this year, arsenic James Ford was executed successful February for the 1997 murders of a Charlotte County mates successful beforehand of their toddler daughter, who survived.

James Ford was executed successful February for 1997 murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory successful Charlotte County, Florida. (Florida Department of Corrections)

Florida's adjacent execution is scheduled to instrumentality spot connected April 8 erstwhile Michael Tanzi volition beryllium enactment to decease for the 2000 execution of a pistillate successful the Florida Keys. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.