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Florida Executes Man For 1985 Murders
October 30, 2015
After months of delay as attorneys debated whether a sedative could be used in executions, murderer Jerry Correll was put to death Thursday night at Florida State Prison near Starke.
The execution was the 22nd under Gov. Rick Scott, the most for any governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Correll, 59, was pronounced dead about an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay.
Correll had been on Death Row for nearly three decades for the June 30, 1985, stabbing deaths in Orlando of his ex-wife, Susan Correll; their 5-year-old daughter Tuesday Correll; his ex-wife’s sister, Marybeth Jones; and his ex-mother-in-law Mary Lou Hines.
Scott initially signed a death warrant for Correll in January, but the execution was put on hold because of a U.S. Supreme Court case about whether a drug used in the lethal-injection process violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court case involved an Oklahoma execution, but Florida uses the same drug, midazolam, as part of its lethal-injection process.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld the use of midazolam, but the Florida Supreme Court refused to lift a stay of Correll’s execution. Attorneys for Correll argued that midazolam posed a higher risk to him because of his alleged brain damage and history of drug use. Orange County Circuit Judge Jenifer Davis held a hearing in August and ruled against Correll.
The Supreme Court upheld Davis’ decision Oct. 2 and lifted the stay of Correll’s execution. The execution put Scott one ahead of former Gov. Jeb Bush, who oversaw 21 executions during his two terms. The most executions under the watch of any governor since 1924 is 35, coming while Spessard Holland, later a U.S. senator, was in office from Jan. 7, 1941 through Jan. 2, 1945, according to the Department of Corrections.
Comments
6 Responses to “Florida Executes Man For 1985 Murders”
30 years on death row and “months” of debating whether a sedative could be used in executions prolonged his time on death row? That’s NOT the reason this was delayed. He should have been strapped to old faithful over a decade ago.
Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment does not imply or guarantee a pain-free execution.
Really? They can’t figure out an injection that is lethal? Just plain air works. Personally I think a properly placed 10 cent bullet is quicker and more “merciful”. We seem to coddle the worst of the worst and this somehow makes us more civilized?
The hard criminals who are unafraid of prison have no deterrents what so ever.
He should have not died years ago. He should have died decades ago. It is true that laws are put into place to protect criminals and it almost happened here.
I totally concur with R u serious.
30 years on death row and yall wanna argue cruel and unusual punishment?? What about what he did to the people he MURDERED??? Where is THEIR justice?? They got it, it just took 30 years to be served up!! Gov. Scott, PLEASE speed up these executions in the manner for which TX does it so well. This pig should have died years ago!!