By The newspaper
03 Oct 2023, 23:03 PM EDT
Florida carried out this Tuesday an execution by lethal injection of Michael Duane Zack III, 54, convicted of the murder of two women in 1996 in the Panhandle area, northeast coast of the state.
Zack’s execution marks the sixth so far this year in Florida, despite previous attempts to stop it due to allegations of the condemned man’s “intellectual incapacity,” according to the AP agency.
Zack was arrested in 1996 for the murders of Laurie Rosillo and Ravonne Smith in the Florida Panhandle, and was convicted of first-degree murder in both cases. Additionally, he faced charges of robbery with a firearm and sexual assault.
Despite attempts by his lawyers to appeal the sentence citing post-traumatic stress and intellectual disabilities, the execution proceeded as planned. There were petitions for clemency and requests to stop the execution, but these failed to change the outcome.
This execution marks the 105th since capital punishment was reinstated in Florida in 1976. Currently, 300 inmates are on “death row,” including three women, according to data from the Florida Department of Corrections.
It is important to note that this is the eighth execution under the mandate of Governor Ron DeSantis, who has promoted reforms in the application of the death penalty in the state.
The lethal cocktail used in the Florida executions includes three chemicals, and this execution is part of a political issue in the 2024 presidential election, where former President Donald Trump is a favorite among conservatives.
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