Florida is set to execute two men on the same day for the first time in over 60 years, a move that underscores Governor Ron DeSantis’s aggressive stance on capital punishment in his final months in office. James Duckett, 68, convicted of murder in 1987, and Dominick Occhicone, 80, convicted of double homicide in 1986, face lethal injection despite last-minute appeals denied by the state Supreme Court. Duckett’s team questions DNA evidence handling, while Occhicone’s lawyers argue his advanced age could make execution cruel and unusual. Both cases remain pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. DeSantis, who has overseen 19 executions in 2025 alone — a modern record — would reach 31 total executions in his final two years, far surpassing the nine in his first six. The governor has remained largely silent, citing justice for victims’ families and affirming he would not proceed if innocence were proven — though DNA tests in Duckett’s case were inconclusive. If carried out, Occhicone would be the second-oldest person executed in U.S. history. While multiple states execute on the same day, Florida’s dual execution is unprecedented since Arkansas did it in 2017.
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