Edward James, a Florida man, is set to be executed for the 1993 killings of 8-year-old Toni Neuner and her grandmother Betty Dick. James had been renting a room in Dick’s house when, after a night of heavy drinking and drug use, he raped and strangled the young girl and stabbed her grandmother to death. He then stole Dick’s jewelry and car, driving across the country until he was arrested in California.
James pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to death based on a jury recommendation. Despite several appeals arguing mental decline due to drug and alcohol use, head injuries, and a heart attack, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that his cognitive issues do not shield him from execution. They also rejected the argument that a heart attack suffered in prison should halt the execution.
Florida uses a three-drug cocktail for lethal injections, and this execution will be the second in the state this year, with a third planned for April. James’ case is part of a series of executions scheduled this week across the United States, including one in Louisiana and another in Arizona.
Overall, Edward James is facing the death penalty for the brutal murders of a young girl and her grandmother in 1993, and despite appeals based on mental health issues, his execution is set to proceed as scheduled.
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