Florida executed 74-year-old Harold Gene Lucas, its 14th prisoner put to death this year.
Why it matters: Florida's rapid execution pace keeps capital punishment in the spotlight. The state has already lined up more executions later this month, likely extending the policy fight over lethal injection and death-penalty procedures.
- Lucas was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, Florida, on Sept. 1, 2026, and pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant, which set the execution for 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 1.
- Lucas had been convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for a 1976 shooting attack in Bonita Springs, Lee County.
- Florida had already scheduled two more executions for Sept. 10 and Sept. 29.
Florida executed Harold Gene Lucas, 74, on Sept. 1 at Florida State Prison near Starke, according to the Associated Press. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. after a three-drug injection, the AP reported.
The execution made Lucas the 14th person Florida has put to death in 2026, a pace that has drawn renewed national scrutiny over capital punishment in the state. Florida carries out executions using lethal injection with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, AP reported.
Lucas had been convicted in connection with a 1976 shooting attack in Bonita Springs, Lee County, that killed 16-year-old Jill Piper and wounded two of her friends, according to CBS News Miami. The death warrant was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and set the execution for 6:00 p.m., according to the Florida court docket.
The state's execution schedule shows no sign of slowing. Two more Florida executions were already set for Sept. 10 and Sept. 29, according to The Guardian.
By the numbers
- 14 - Florida executions in 2026 after Lucas's death
- 74 - Lucas's age at the time of execution
- 2 - additional Florida executions already scheduled later in September
Yes, but: The case also reflects an older murder conviction dating to 1976, so the immediate news is the execution itself - not a new criminal proceeding.
What's next: Florida has two more executions scheduled for Sept. 10 and Sept. 29, 2026.