Florida is scheduled to carry out the execution of James Aren Duckett, a former police officer who was convicted in the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Duckett, 68, is set to receive a lethal injection at noon at Florida State Prison near Starke, marking one of two executions planned by the state on the same day.
Duckett previously served as a police officer in Mascotte, Florida, and his case has remained one of the state’s most closely watched death penalty cases for decades. Prosecutors alleged that while on duty in May 1987, Duckett abducted Teresa McAbee, sexually assaulted her, and killed her before leaving her body near a lake. He was convicted in 1988 and sentenced to death after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and sexual battery.
The scheduled execution follows years of appeals and post-conviction litigation. Earlier in 2026, Duckett’s execution was temporarily delayed after his attorneys sought additional DNA testing on evidence collected during the original investigation. The testing results were ultimately deemed inconclusive, meaning they neither exonerated Duckett nor definitively identified another perpetrator. Following further court proceedings, the stay was lifted and a new execution warrant was issued.
If carried out as scheduled, Duckett’s execution will be the first of two executions planned in Florida on the same day, with Dominick Anthony Occhicone scheduled for execution later that evening. According to officials, it would mark Florida’s first double execution day in more than six decades and reflects the state’s increased use of capital punishment in recent years.
The case has continued to generate legal and public debate. Supporters of the conviction point to the evidence presented at trial and the jury’s verdict, while Duckett has consistently maintained his innocence. His attorneys argued that advances in forensic science warranted additional testing, though courts ultimately concluded that the new DNA analysis did not provide grounds to overturn the conviction.
The execution is scheduled to take place at 12:00 p.m. at Florida State Prison, barring any last-minute intervention from the courts. As with other executions, the Florida Department of Corrections is expected to release an official statement following the procedure.
The case remains one of the most notable in Florida’s criminal justice history due to the victim’s age, Duckett’s former role in law enforcement, and the lengthy appeals process that extended nearly four decades after the original crime. As the scheduled execution approaches, the case continues to draw attention from legal observers, victims’ advocates, and those engaged in the broader debate over capital punishment.
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