Florida to Execute Two Inmates on Same Day for First Time in Over 60 Years
Florida is scheduled to execute two inmates on the same day, a feat not seen in the state in over 60 years. The executions of James Aren Duckett and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, both convicted of murder, are set for Tuesday,…
Indianapolis, IN, July 28, 2026 —
Florida is preparing to execute two death row inmates on the same day, an event that has not occurred in the state for more than six decades. James Aren Duckett and Dominick Anthony Occhicone are both scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday.
Duckett was convicted in the 1997 murder of 10-year-old Diane Jones in Marion County. Occhicone was convicted in the 2005 murder of his girlfriend, Maria Carolina Romero, and her friend, John James Jr., in Osceola County.
The planned joint execution marks a notable increase in the frequency of capital punishment in Florida under Governor Ron DeSantis. The state has carried out multiple executions in recent years, but executing two individuals on the same calendar day is a rare occurrence.
Both Duckett and Occhicone had their appeals denied by the Florida Supreme Court. However, at the time of this report, appeals were still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court for both inmates. The outcome of these federal appeals will determine if the executions proceed as scheduled.
The last time Florida executed two inmates on the same day was over 60 years ago. The state’s use of the death penalty has been a subject of ongoing discussion, and this planned event is expected to draw further attention to capital punishment in Florida.
Story summarized from the original created by AP via Scripps News Group on www.wrtv.com, see more information here.
