On Thursday, Florida carried out the execution of a man found guilty of the 1988 rape and murder of his former manager at a convenience store, marking the 17th execution in the state this year, a new record.
Governor Ron DeSantis’ office confirmed to The Associated Press that 63-year-old Richard Barry Randolph was executed at 6:12 p.m. via a lethal three-drug combination at Florida State Prison, located near Starke.
Randolph was found guilty in 1989 for murder, armed robbery, sexual assault, and grand theft, receiving a death sentence as a result.
A representative for the governor stated that the execution proceeded without any issues and that Randolph chose not to deliver any final words.
An undated photograph of Richard Randolph was released by correctional authorities prior to his execution on Thursday. (Florida Department of Corrections via AP)
The day of his execution, Randolph awoke at 6:30 a.m. and later had a meal consisting of a cheeseburger, fries, and ice cream, as reported by a Department of Corrections official. He had a single visitor but opted not to see a spiritual counselor.
Three members of the victim’s family were expected to attend the execution, which began around 6 p.m.
Randolph’s death extended Florida’s record for executions in a single year to 17.
The U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, and until now, the highest annual total in Florida was eight in 2014.
Court records show Randolph tried to break into a safe at a Palatka convenience store in August 1988, according to the AP. Randolph, a former employee, was spotted by manager Minnie Ruth McCollum, and the two struggled.
Richard Randolph was put to death Thursday, for the rape and murder of his former manager at a Florida convenience store in 1988. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Randolph beat, strangled, stabbed and raped McCollum before fleeing the store in her car.
Three women saw Randolph leaving and called the sheriff’s office after noticing the store was in disarray.
A responding deputy found McCollum still alive and took her to a hospital, where she remained in a coma. She died six days later of severe brain injuries, doctors said.
Randolph was arrested soon after at a Jacksonville grocery store while trying to borrow money and cash in stolen lottery tickets. Investigators said he admitted to the attack and led them to bloody clothing he had discarded.
The Florida Supreme Court last week denied Randolph’s appeal to overturn his conviction. He argued the lower court abused its discretion by denying him access to public records and that his lawyers acted without his consent.
The entrance of Florida State Prison in Starke. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, File)
Florida has carried out more executions than any other state this year, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas with five each. Two more executions are planned next month under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. DeSantis.
Mark Allen Geralds, 58, is scheduled for Florida’s 18th execution on Dec. 9. He was convicted of fatally stabbing a woman during a home-invasion robbery.
Frank Athen Walls, 58, is set for Florida’s 19th execution on Dec. 18. He was convicted of fatally shooting a man and a woman during a home-invasion robbery and later confessed to three other killings.
Florida’s lethal injections use a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
