07/26/2026
The case centers on a man convicted and sentenced to death for the 1986 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s mother in Florida. On the night of the crime, he returned to his ex-girlfriend’s home after being refused entry, armed himself, and cut the phone lines before fatally shooting the woman’s father outside and, after breaking in, shooting her mother inside. The jury recommended death for both murders, but the judge imposed a life sentence for the father's death and a death sentence for the mother's, finding several aggravating factors. Since his conviction became final in 1991, he has unsuccessfully challenged his conviction and sentence in multiple state and federal proceedings.
After a death warrant was signed in 2026, he filed a second successive motion for postconviction relief in the Circuit Court for Pasco County, arguing: (1) that alleged shortages of the lethal injection drug etomidate and possible deviations from ex*****on protocols violated his constitutional rights; (2) that executing him at his advanced age would constitute cruel and unusual punishment; and (3) that the pace of ex*****ons in Florida and the circumstances of his case rendered his ex*****on unconstitutional and a manifest injustice. The circuit court summarily denied these claims, along with his requests for public records and a stay of ex*****on.
https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/2026/sc2026-1042.html