A Florida man, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, aged 80, has made history as the oldest person to be executed in the state. This execution marks the end of a nearly four-decade journey since the 1986 double murder of Raymond and Martha Artzner, the parents of his ex-girlfriend, Anita Gerrety.
Occhicone’s lethal injection makes him the 12th person executed in Florida in 2026 and the second on the same day. The tragic events unfolded on June 10, 1986, when Occhicone first visited his ex-girlfriend’s parents’ home in Pasco County in an attempt to reconcile. However, his intentions turned deadly in a subsequent visit, leading to the fatal shooting of Raymond Artzner and the death of Martha Artzner.
Despite Occhicone’s claims of the shootings not being premeditated, a jury convicted him, sentencing him to death. After exhausting all appeals, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his execution, making him the oldest person executed in modern Florida history and the second-oldest in the US after Walter Moody in 2018.
On the same day, 68-year-old James Duckett, a former policeman, was also executed for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in 1987. Duckett’s execution, the 11th in Florida in 2026, was swift, with him declining to make a final statement before his death.
These dual executions mark a significant event in Florida’s history, being the first since 1964. Governor Ron DeSantis has intensified executions in the state, aiming to deliver justice swiftly. Florida’s increased pace in executions contrasts with the declining trend nationwide, with the state carrying out a significant portion of executions across the US since 2025.
