State & National

Florida executes man convicted of killing 13-year-old in 1976

The state of Florida carried out the execution of James Hitchcock on April 30, 2026, for the 1976 murder of his 13-year-old stepniece in Winter Garden. A separate case covered by the Gainesville Sun involved Andrew Lukehart, also facing execution for killing a baby. Opponents of the execution gathered outside Florida State Prison in Raiford during the proceedings.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun · The Independent Florida Alligator