On Tuesday, Florida executed James Aren Duckett, a former police officer, and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, marking the state’s first back-to-back executions in years. These executions are the first in Florida since 2017 when Arkansas last executed two inmates in one day. This activity aligns with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s increased pace in carrying out death sentences since the death penalty’s federal reinstatement in 1976.

Duckett, 68, was put to death at Florida State Prison for the 1987 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. He died from a three-drug injection and was the 11th execution by the state this year. Duckett, once a police officer in central Florida, did not offer any final statements before his death. The prison warden confirmed his death when Duckett did not respond to his name being called.

Occhicone, 80, scheduled for the evening, is poised to become the oldest inmate executed in Florida’s history for the 1986 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. If carried out, he’ll also be the second-oldest to be executed in modern U.S. history.

This year, Florida has led the country with 29 executions since 2025, outpacing all other states combined. Governor DeSantis, who ends his term in January, has overseen 19 executions in 2025, the highest number of any Florida governor since the death penalty’s reinstatement. Executions are performed using a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug.

Both Duckett and Occhicone pursued appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, which were denied. Duckett’s attorneys argued his innocence and questioned the state’s evidence handling. Occhicone’s representatives expressed concerns over his health conditions potentially making his execution painful.

DeSantis has not publicly commented on the decision to conduct two executions in one day. A Florida prison official expressed readiness for the task, despite concerns raised by advocacy groups like Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, which urged a halt to the executions citing public opposition to capital punishment.

DeSantis has previously stated that his objective is to deliver justice for victims’ families who have waited decades. He asserts the need for executions to proceed smoothly unless innocence is evident.

Occhicone’s execution follows the removal of a stay initially granted for Duckett due to inconclusive DNA test results. Judges have upheld Duckett’s original verdict even after the state supreme court’s involvement allowed DNA testing on evidence which was previously unavailable.