Florida executed James Robertson, a convicted murderer, on Tuesday, marking the state's first execution since a failed attempt in Tennessee involving Christa Pike in September. Robertson, 63, was pronounced dead after receiving a three-shot series of lethal injections at a state prison in Raiford.

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"The sentence of the state of Florida versus James Robertson was carried out at 12:32 PM [Tuesday]," said Jordan Kirkland, a spokesperson for the state corrections department, during a news conference following the execution. "The execution took place without incident."

Context

The use of the death penalty in Florida has faced increased scrutiny since the botched execution of Pike on September 30, where authorities were forced to abandon the attempt after administering two doses of pentobarbital. Pike was discharged from the hospital on October 7 and returned to prison after the incident.

Robertson was the 17th prisoner executed by Florida in 2026. His execution resumed the aggressive use of the death penalty under Governor Ron DeSantis, who is set to leave office in January. A second execution scheduled for Tuesday was called off after DeSantis withdrew the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, 74, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 23-year-old woman in 1976.

Developments

Upcoming executions include:

  • William Reaves, 77, scheduled for execution on October 20 for the 1986 murder of a sheriff’s deputy in Indian River County.
  • Jesse Guardado, 64, set to be executed on November 5 for the murder of a 74-year-old woman in Walton County in 2004.

If both executions proceed as planned, Florida will tie its modern-day record of 19 executions in a calendar year, set in 2025.