A man from Florida who was found guilty in the horrific 1993 murders of an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother was executed through lethal injection on Thursday following the Supreme Court’s rejection of his appeals. Edward James, 63, was pronounced deceased at 8:15 p.m. at a Florida State Prison near the city of Starke. Prior to his execution, he chose not to make a final statement, as reported by The Associated Press.
James was sentenced to death by a jury in an 11-1 vote after admitting to the September 19, 1993, killings of Toni Neuner, 8, and her grandmother, 58-year-old Betty Dick. Despite his final attempts, James’ appeals were turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier that day, allowing for the enforcement of his death penalty.
The heinous acts took place while James was residing in Dick’s house, located approximately 10 miles north of Orlando. Neuner, along with three other children, was present at the house on the night of the tragic incident, though the other children were not harmed.
After consuming a significant amount of alcohol and LSD, James brutally raped and strangled Neuner, and stabbed Dick 21 times. Subsequently, he stole the grandmother’s possessions and vehicle before being arrested in Bakersfield, California, on October 6, 1993.
Despite multiple appeals suggesting cognitive impairments that could mitigate his execution, James’ pleas were consistently denied by state and federal courts. The Florida Supreme Court rejected claims from James’ legal team regarding his mental decline resulting from substance abuse, head injuries, and a heart attack in 2023.
James’ execution, carried out via lethal injection, was the second in Florida this year, following the execution of James Ford in February for the 1997 murders of a couple in Charlotte County. The next scheduled execution in Florida is set for April 8, involving Michael Tanzi for the 2000 murder of a woman in the Florida Keys.
The information in this article was contributed by The Associated Press.
