Edward James, a Florida man convicted of murdering an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother during a night of heavy drinking and drug use in 1993, is scheduled for execution on Thursday.
The lethal injection is set to take place at 8 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke under a death warrant signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in February.
This execution marks the second in Florida this year, with a third scheduled for April. Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected James’ final appeals without comment, clearing the way for the state to proceed.
Florida’s planned execution is part of a week that saw multiple executions across the United States. On Tuesday, Louisiana resumed executions after a 15-year pause, using nitrogen gas for the first time. Arizona followed on Wednesday, lethally injecting a man convicted of kidnapping and murder. Oklahoma executed another inmate by lethal injection on Thursday.
James was sentenced to death for the murders of 8-year-old Toni Neuner and her 58-year-old grandmother, Betty Dick, on September 19, 1993. At the time, James rented a room in Dick’s home in Casselberry, Florida, where Toni and three other children were staying that night.
According to court records, James consumed up to 24 beers, gin, and LSD at a party before returning to the house. Toni was sexually assaulted and strangled, while Dick was stabbed 21 times. The three other children were unharmed.
James also stole Dick’s car and jewelry, fleeing across the country and selling the stolen items along the way. He was apprehended on October 6, 1993, in Bakersfield, California.
Despite pleading guilty to the charges, James received a death sentence after an 11-1 jury recommendation. He was also convicted of raping the child and committing burglary during the crime spree.
Over the years, James’ lawyers filed multiple appeals, all of which were denied. Most recently, the Florida Supreme Court rejected claims that his long-term substance abuse, head injuries, and a 2023 heart attack had caused cognitive decline, rendering the execution cruel and unusual punishment.
The court ruled that “James’s cognitive issues do not shield him from execution,” adding that his claims of oxygen deprivation from the heart attack were insufficient to constitute new evidence.
