Florida Man Faces Execution for Gruesome Double Homicide of 8-Year-Old and Grandmother

Edward James, a 63-year-old man, was executed Thursday evening in Florida for the 1993 murders of an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother. He was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke.

James had pleaded guilty to the murders of Toni Neuner and her grandmother, Betty Dick. The tragic events occurred on September 19, 1993, when James, after consuming excessive alcohol and drugs, attacked the victims in Dick’s home in Casselberry.

While awaiting execution, James chose not to make a final statement. Witnesses reported his heavy breathing and sudden flinching as the drugs took effect before he became still.

This execution marks Florida’s second of the year. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court denied James’ final appeals, allowing the execution to proceed. Governor Ron DeSantis had signed James’ death warrant earlier this year, alongside another set for April.

On the night of the murders, James, who had been renting a room in Dick’s house, consumed up to 24 beers, gin, and LSD. Court records reveal he raped and strangled Toni while sparing her companions. After fatally attacking Betty Dick with 21 stab wounds, he stole her jewelry and car, eventually driving across the country. He was arrested on October 6 in Bakersfield, California.

James confessed to the police, but a jury recommended the death penalty with an 11-1 vote. His legal team filed multiple appeals, all of which were denied, including claims of mental decline due to substance abuse and health issues. The Florida Supreme Court upheld earlier findings that these factors did not exempt him from execution.

The method of execution in Florida employs a three-drug cocktail consisting of a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a drug to stop the heart. Earlier this year, another man was executed for separate crimes in Charlotte County, with additional executions planned in the coming months, including one scheduled for April 8.