STARKE, Fla. – On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court temporarily halted the planned execution of a former police officer, convicted for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.
The court decided to delay the execution of 68-year-old James Aren Duckett, who was slated to face lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke this coming Tuesday. Duckett has been on death row since 1988, following his conviction for first-degree murder and sexual assault.
In his ongoing legal efforts, Duckett requested DNA testing, claiming it could prove his innocence. A circuit court approved this request, and as a result, the DNA analysis is underway. The Florida Supreme Court instructed the state to update them on the DNA testing’s progress by 5 p.m. on Friday.
Should the stay remain in place beyond Tuesday, the timing of Duckett’s execution remains uncertain.
In 2025, Florida witnessed an unprecedented 19 executions under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, marking the highest number in a single year since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976. This surpassed the previous record of eight executions in 2014.
According to court documents, Duckett served as an officer in Mascotte, a town located west of Orlando. On the night of May 11, 1987, he was on duty when 11-year-old Teresa McAbee vanished. Witnesses last observed her entering Duckett’s patrol car at a local convenience store.
McAbee’s body was found in a lake the next morning less than a mile away from the store, officials said. A medical examiner determined she was sexually assaulted and then drowned. Blood and hair linked her to Duckett. Distinct tire tracks found at the lake matched the tires on Mascotte patrol cars. Duckett and McAbee’s fingerprints were found on the hood of Duckett’s car.
Three teen girls testified at trial that Duckett had previously given rides to each of them and had made sexual advances.
A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
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