Florida Executes Loran Cole After Appeals Denied

Loran Cole, convicted of the 1994 murder of a Florida State University student and the rape of the student's sister, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on Thursday evening after spending nearly 30 years on death row. Despite Cole's legal team arguing that his Parkinson's disease would cause 'needless pain and suffering' during the execution, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal. The Florida Attorney General's office contended that Cole had delayed raising his health concerns until his death warrant was signed. Cole's execution followed Governor Ron DeSantis signing his death warrant in July. The family of the victims expressed no sympathy for Cole, highlighting the prolonged suffering his crimes had caused them. The execution marks Florida's first since October of the previous year.