Well, folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. Two death row inmates in Florida are set to be executed on the same day, which hasn’t happened in the state since 1964. I guess you could say it’s a bit of a throwback Tuesday. James Duckett and Dominick Occhicone are the two men scheduled to meet their maker, with Duckett set to go first at noon. Duckett has been on death row for over three decades after being convicted of murdering 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in 1987. Occhicone, on the other hand, is an 80-year-old man who was convicted of double-murder in 1987 and would be the second octogenarian to be executed in the US death penalty’s modern era.
As I read through this article, I couldn’t help but think about the poor guy who has to update the execution schedule in Florida. I mean, it’s not like they have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Father Dustin Feddon, a Catholic priest who has been visiting prisoners on Florida’s death row for over a decade, seems to think it’s a big deal. He said, “I’m not shocked anymore by the number of death warrants that are being signed, but it struck me as a kind of rupture to the system that we would execute two people within six hours from one another.” I guess that’s one way to put it.
Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “Big Elephant, what’s the big deal? They’re just getting what’s coming to them.” But, as Feddon pointed out, executing two people in one day could put a lot of stress on the system, increasing the risk of potential complications. And let’s not forget, Florida leads the nation in death row exonerations, with 30 people being freed after serving time for a crime they didn’t commit since 1973. That’s a pretty sobering statistic, if you ask me.
The recent increase in executions in Florida has been a topic of concern for advocates, who point out that the state’s pace of executions is contributing to a national jump in executions. In fact, Florida has already put 10 prisoners to death this year, with 19 executions taking place in 2025, a record high for the state. Maya Foa, the CEO of Reprieve, an international nonprofit organization that opposes the death penalty, said, “The pace of executions and the signing of death warrants is very different to the national picture. This is an execution spree at a grand scale.”
As I finished reading this article, I couldn’t help but think about the priest, Father Feddon, who will be with Duckett during his final moments. He’ll be praying with him, giving him communion and anointing him with oil. It’s a somber reminder that, despite the controversy surrounding the death penalty, there are still human beings involved, with families and loved ones who will be affected by these executions.
In conclusion, it’s been a wild ride reading about the latest developments in Florida’s death penalty saga. With two executions set to take place on the same day, it’s clear that the state is ramping up its pace of executions. While some might see this as a necessary step towards justice, others are concerned about the potential risks and complications. As for me, I’ll just stick to my coffee and try to make sense of it all. And who knows, maybe someday we’ll look back on this and think, “Wow, we really used to do things differently back then.” 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
