STARKE, Fla. (AP) — Edward James, a 63-year-old man, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison outside Starke on Thursday at 6 p.m. This execution follows a death warrant signed in February by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. James's execution will mark the second in the state this year, with another planned for April.
James was convicted for the brutal murders of 8-year-old Toni Neuner and her 58-year-old grandmother, Betty Dick, on September 19, 1993. At the time of the crimes, James was renting a room at Dick’s home in Casselberry, Florida, where Neuner and three other children were also present. After attending a party that night, where he reportedly consumed up to 24 beers and used LSD, James returned to Dick's house and committed the heinous acts.
The court records indicate that Toni Neuner was raped and strangled to death. Betty Dick met a similarly grim fate, being stabbed 21 times before James stole her jewelry and car. James later drove from Florida to California, selling pieces of Dick's jewelry along the way until he was apprehended on October 6, 1993, in Bakersfield.
Following his arrest, a videotaped confession was obtained from James, who ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges. Despite his admissions, a jury recommended the death penalty by an 11-1 vote, and he was subsequently sentenced to death. Over the years, James's legal team pursued numerous appeals in both state and federal courts, all of which were denied.
Recently, the Florida Supreme Court dismissed an argument presented by James's lawyers that suggested his lengthy history of substance abuse, several head injuries, and a heart attack in 2023 resulted in mental decline that would make his execution a form of cruel and unusual punishment. The justices concluded that such cognitive issues do not exempt James from execution.
Moreover, the court rejected a claim that the heart attack led to oxygen deprivation and consequently impacted his mental state. They noted that even if this were new evidence, it did not demonstrate that it would lead to a different outcome concerning James's death penalty. The ruling emphasized that the defendant could not establish a likelihood of obtaining a less severe sentence in a new penalty phase.
The Death Penalty Information Center states that Florida employs a three-drug cocktail for lethal injections, which consists of a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a drug intended to induce cardiac arrest. Earlier this year, another individual, James Ford, was executed for a double murder in 1997 that was witnessed by the couple's toddler daughter, who survived the incident. Following Ford's execution, DeSantis signed a death warrant for Michael Tanzi, set for execution on April 8, 2024, for a 2000 killing in the Florida Keys.
The upcoming execution of Edward James highlights ongoing discussions around capital punishment in the United States, particularly as states resume executions after significant pauses during the COVID-19 pandemic. With numerous legal challenges related to mental competency and the methodology of executions, James's case serves as a reminder of the complexities surrounding the death penalty and its application.
