Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a death warrant for inmate Edward James, who was sentenced to death in the 1993 murders of a woman and her 8-year-old granddaughter in Seminole County.
The death warrant came five days after the state put to death James Ford in the 1997 murders of a couple in Charlotte County.
James’ execution is scheduled March 20 at Florida State Prison, according to documents posted on the Florida Supreme Court website.
James, now 63, was convicted of murdering Betty Dick and her granddaughter Toni Neuner. He rented a room from Dick and committed the murders after a night of drinking.
Court documents said James came home and strangled the child and sexually assaulted her. He then went to Dick’s bedroom, where he intended to have sex with her. He stabbed her to death, the documents said.
James was sentenced to death in 1995 in the murders and also received prison sentences on other changes. State and federal courts rejected a series of appeals in the ensuing years.
In a letter Tuesday to DeSantis that was posted on the Supreme Court website with the death warrant, Attorney General James Uthmeier said that based on the past litigation “affirming the judgments and sentences of death imposed for first-degree murder, the record is legally sufficient to support the issuance of a death warrant.”
The death warrant likely will touch off a fresh round of appeals in the coming weeks.
Ford became the first inmate executed in Florida this year, when he was put to death Thursday in the murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory at a Charlotte County sod farm.
Florida executed one inmate in 2024. Loran Cole was executed Aug. 29 in the 1994 murder of Florida State University student John Edwards, who was camping in the Ocala National Forest.
Florida did not execute any inmates in 2020, 2021 and 2022 but put to death six men in 2023.
They were Michael Duane Zack, who was executed for a 1996 murder in Escambia County; James Phillip Barnes, who was executed for the 1988 murder of a woman in her Melbourne condominium; Duane Owen, who was executed for the 1984 murder of a Palm Beach County woman; Darryl Barwick, who was executed for the 1986 murder of a woman in her Panama City apartment; Louis Gaskin, who was executed for the 1989 murders of a couple in Flagler County; and Donald David Dillbeck, who was executed for the 1990 murder of a woman during a carjacking in a Tallahassee mall parking lot.
–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
Deborah Coffey says
It seems like today’s Republicans will kill anyone to save money.
Bryan says
He was sentenced to death in 1995 30 years ago. What took this long to make a decision. Seems like the system needs to be evaluated.
Thomas says
Enough with the appeal crap.
Pogo says
@Sentenced by their own words
“…enough with the appeal crap.”
Know them by the company they keep
https://www.google.com/search?q=death+penalty+by+country
Land of no turn signals says says
Debbie is correct he should have been executed long ago and not waste taxpayers money.One appeal that’s it done.Next!!!!!!
Doug says
At Deborah Coffey – Typical, that some have to bring politics into the tragic and violent death of two innocent people, including a child. It’s not surprising, though, because that’s all you anti-death penalty fanatics can fall back on. But if that’s what it takes to save a few dollars and end the life of the murderer, so be it. Sleep well.