Florida Man Scheduled for Execution on August 28

Loran K. Cole, a Florida man convicted of the 1994 murder of 18-year-old John Edwards and the rape of his sister, 21-year-old Pam Edwards, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on August 28, 2024, at Florida State Prison, following a death warrant signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. Cole, 57, along with accomplice William Paul, lured the siblings away from their campsite in the Ocala National Forest, where John was brutally beaten and murdered, while Pam was kidnapped and raped. The execution marks the first in Florida since last October. Cole was sentenced to death for first-degree murder and also received life imprisonment for multiple counts of sexual battery and kidnapping. Pam managed to escape and seek help after the assault, leading to the discovery of her brother's body. Paul, who pleaded no contest to his charges, is serving a life sentence for his role in the crimes.