Loran Cole, 57, was set to be executed in Florida on Thursday for the 1994 murder of 18-year-old Florida State University freshman John Edwards and the sexual assault of his 21-year-old sister.
Cole was scheduled to die any time after 6:00 p.m. local time.
The use of the death penalty in the U.S. has been a topic of intense debate for decades. Proponents argue that it serves as a deterrent to crime and provides justice for the victims and their families. Opponents, however, highlight concerns about wrongful convictions, racial disparities, and the ethics of state-sanctioned killing. Despite these concerns, the death penalty persists in nearly half of the states.
As of 2024, the death penalty remains a completely legal form of punishment in 21 U.S. states, including Florida, which according to the Death Penalty Information Center has a current death row population of 288.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law in 2023 that lowered the threshold for a jury’s recommendation of the death penalty from a unanimous vote to a majority of eight, further cementing the state’s stance on capital punishment.
Several states have moved away from capital punishment in recent years, however. Washington, Virginia, and New Hampshire are among the states that have repealed the death penalty in recent years.
A few states, whilst still having capital punishment on the books, have paused executions via executive action by state officials – including California, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Which States Still Have the Death Penalty?
The states where capital punishment is still employed are:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Oklahoma
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Which States Do Not Have the Death Penalty?
The U.S. states that do not have the death penalty are:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
In Which States Has the Death Penalty Been Put on Hold?
Some states have halted the practice via gubernatorial hold:
- Arizona
- California
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
Florida killer Wade Wilson was sentenced to execution Tuesday for the 2019 murders of Kristine Meton and Diane Ruiz, after a majority of the 12 jurors in his trial recommended the death sentence in June.
Wilson’s lawyer, Kevin Shirley told Newsweek he found the commotion surrounding Wilson’s high-profile case on social media “very unusual.”
“I’ve never been involved in anything like this before. I don’t know how many tens of thousands of people are communicating with him or communicating with each other about him. There’s donations that are set up for him. I think it’s ridiculous, but there’s a lot of people that think otherwise,” Shirley said.
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