Florida carried out two executions in a single day Tuesday, the first time any state has done so in nearly a decade, at Florida State Prison near Starke. James Aren Duckett, 68, a former Mascotte police officer, was pronounced dead at 1:19 PM after being convicted of the 1988 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Florida executed a record 19 inmates in 2025, more than any other state, and has now executed 11 in 2026. Since 2025 began, Florida has carried out nearly half of all state executions in the country. DeSantis has described his approach as ensuring families do not wait indefinitely for the courts to exhaust their appeals.