A Florida death row inmate, convicted of raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl and murdering her grandmother, has called on the U.S. Supreme Court to stop executions.
Edward James, 63, was convicted of rape in 1993, murder of Toni Neuner at 8 years old, and murder of Betty Dick, 58, in Seminole County. He pleaded guilty to the charges of murder, child abuse and temptation and refused to contest other charges that he said he did not remember.
James's lethal injection execution is scheduled for 6pm Thursday at Florida State Jail in Stark. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed James' death warrant last month.
The convicted murderer will be Louisiana's first nitrogen gas run after the appeal is denied
Edward James, 63, is scheduled to be executed by a fatal injection at 6pm on Thursday. (Florida Department of Corrections)
On September 19, 1993, James attacked Toni, who was staying at her grandmother's house, but also killed a 58-year-old woman. James had rented a room at Dick's house.
According to court records, James strangled Toni, then raped her and threw her body into the room. The girl suffered an internal injury and James brought her to death.
James then went to Dick's bedroom with the intention of raping her, but instead stabbed her over 20 times with two different knives.
South Carolina sets the date for its fifth run in under 7 months
The Florida Supreme Court and the federal Court of Appeals have each rejected appeals to delay Edward James' execution. (AP photo/sue ogrocki, file)
The murder is witnessed by Toni's sister Wendy, and James is eventually tied up and locked up in the toilet. Toni's two younger brothers were sleeping at home when the crime was committed.
The Florida Supreme Court and the federal Court of Appeals each refused to appeal to delay James' execution.
According to WUSF, James' lawyers cited “cognitive decline,” claiming that performing an act violated a constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
Edward James is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, file)
Click here to get the Fox News app
“The issues present in this case require appeal review that cannot be truncated by the urgency of impending enforcement,” wrote James' attorney, Dawn McCreedy.
James' execution will be the second of the year after James Dennis Ford died last month in Charlotte County for the couple's murder. Another inmate, Michael Tansy, 48, is scheduled to be executed on April 8th for the 2000 invitation and murder of a Miami woman.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
