Death row executions: Florida and Texas carry out sentences for brutal crimes

After more than 25 years on death row, James Ford and another convicted murderer were executed on Thursday by lethal injection in Florida and Texas.

Ford, 64, was sentenced to death in 1999 for the brutal 1997 murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory. The Florida Department of Corrections confirmed his execution took place at 6:19 PM (2319 GMT). Ford had worked with the couple at a turf farm in Punta Gorda.

Court documents confirmed that Ford shot Greg Malnory and slit his throat. He then raped Kimberly Malnory, 26, before shooting her dead. Their bodies were discovered the next day by a sod farm employee.

Their 22-month-old daughter was found strapped in a car seat in their truck for 18 hours, covered in mosquito bites. Ford was convicted of first-degree murder, child abuse, and rape.

Florida Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Against Execution

Ford’s attorneys argued that, although he was 36 at the time of the crime, he had the mental capacity of a 14-year-old. They requested his execution be halted, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the execution of individuals who were under 18 at the time of their crimes.

The Florida Supreme Court rejected this argument. An appeal was later filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, which also denied a stay of execution.

Ford’s attorneys claimed he had suffered childhood abuse, struggled with alcoholism, and had diabetes, which they argued contributed to blackouts and erratic behavior. However, the motive for the murders remains unclear.

Execution of Richard Tabler in Texas

In a separate case, Richard Tabler was executed on Thursday for the 2004 murders of Mohamed Amine Rahmouni and Haitham Zayed in Texas. Rahmouni was the owner of a strip club.

Tabler, 46, also confessed to murdering two minor dancers, but he was never tried for their deaths. He was pronounced dead after apologizing to the victims’ families in his final statement.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Tabler said, “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t regret my actions. If this brings you closure, I pray it helps.”

Tabler had previously withdrawn his appeal against the death sentence.

This marks the fourth and fifth executions of the year, following executions in Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas. Last year, 25 people were executed in the United States.