Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for Loran Kenstley Cole, a 30-year-old kidnapping and murder case involving a brother and sister. Cole was convicted of murdering 18-year-old FSU student John Edwards and kidnapping and raping his 21-year-old sister in 1994.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for Loran Kenstley Cole, who was convicted in a 30-year-old kidnapping and murder case involving a brother and sister.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Kidnapping and Murder Case
Cole, 57, was found guilty of murdering 18-year-old FSU student John Edwards and kidnapping and raping his 21-year-old sister in 1994. The crimes took place in Ocala National Forest.
In a statement, DeSantis said that he has been advised that the execution date has been set for Thursday, August 29 at 6:00 p.m.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Kidnapping and Murder Case
“I have signed the death warrant that I signed to carry out the sentence for Loran Kenstley Cole, as well as certified copies of his judgment and sentence,” DeSantis wrote.
Cole's execution will be the first in Florida since last August, when Governor DeSantis signed the death warrant of Michael Duane Zack, 54, for murdering two women in 1996.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Kidnapping and Murder Case
Florida administers executions through lethal injection, with those sentenced generally dying from pulmonary edema.
The death penalty is a controversial issue, with opponents arguing that it is cruel and unusual punishment and that it is not an effective deterrent to crime. Supporters of the death penalty argue that it is a just punishment for certain crimes and that it deters crime.
In recent years, the number of executions in the United States has declined. In 2022, there were 18 executions in the United States, the lowest number since 1991.
The decline in executions is due to a number of factors, including increased scrutiny of the death penalty, the growing use of life without parole sentences, and the difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs.
It is unclear whether the death penalty will continue to decline in the United States. However, the recent decline in executions suggests that there is a growing consensus that the death penalty is not an effective or just punishment.
