A Florida man found guilty of killing a college freshman and raping the victim’s older sister while the two were on a camping trip was executed on Thursday.<\/b><\/p>\n
The state administered a lethal injection to 57-year-old Loran Cole at Florida State Prison. He was pronounced dead at 18:15 local time (23:15 BST).<\/p>\n
He was given the death penalty for killing18-year-old John Edwards in 1994, and was also serving two life sentences for rape.<\/p>\n
The US Supreme Court denied Cole’s appeal against the death penalty earlier on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Warning: This story contains details readers may find distressing.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
His defence attorneys had argued the he should not be executed, noting that he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and had been diagnosed with mental illness and brain damage.<\/p>\n
His lawyers wrote in the last-minute Supreme Court appeal that Cole’s Parkinson symptoms would “make it impossible” for the execution to be conducted in a humane manner.<\/p>\n
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody contended in a legal brief that Cole only brought up the disease after the execution was scheduled, despite knowing “that he suffers from involuntary tremors for at least seven years”.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court rejected his appeal without explanation, which is typical when they weigh in on these types of death penalty cases.<\/p>\n
Cole had nothing to say when offered the chance to give a final statement, the Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n
He responded “No, sir” when asked for his last words.<\/p>\n
The death row inmate’s son and another individual visited Cole before the execution, according to the AP. He ate pizza and ice cream as his last meal.<\/p>\n
Local media reported that Cole inhaled deeply and his body trembled until he finally stopped breathing and was declared dead.<\/p>\n
His lawyers had previously sought an appeal on the grounds that Cole had lived through “horrific and tragic” abuse at the Arthur G Dozier School for Boys – a notorious Florida reform school where personnel physically, mentally and sexually abused the children sent there for decades.<\/p>\n
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed Cole’s death warrant, signed a bill that set aside $20m (\u00a315.2m) for the school’s victims earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The school inspired The Nickel Boys, a novel written by Colson Whitehead, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020.<\/p>\n
Thirty years ago, Cole and another man named William Paul befriended Edwards and his sister Pam while they were on a camping trip in Florida’s Ocala National Forest, according to court records.<\/p>\n
The men lured the college students away from the campsite, jumped them and robbed them, the records say.<\/p>\n
The brother, 18, was a student at Florida State University. He was beaten, had his throat slit and his body was abandoned in the forest.<\/p>\n
His sister, 21, was a senior at Eckerd College. Cole brought her back to the campsite, tied her to a tree and raped her, according to the court documents. He left her there overnight and raped her again the next day.<\/p>\n
She eventually escaped and sought help from someone driving nearby.<\/p>\n
Paul and Cole were both convicted of first-degree murder and given life sentences.<\/p>\n
The sibling’s parents, who did not attend the execution, had prison officials read a statement after the execution on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are void of feelings and empathy for Mr Cole. He placed himself into this arena,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does not deserve mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"