Man who killed his girlfriend's baby is set to be Florida's eighth execution of 2026
Summary
Andrew Richard Lukehart, a 53-year-old Florida man, is scheduled to be executed for killing his girlfriend’s infant daughter in 1996. He was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and his execution will be Florida’s eighth in 2026.Key Facts
- Lukehart confessed to killing the 5-month-old baby in 1996 by dropping her on her head and shaking her.
- He threw the baby’s body into a pond, where it was later found by police.
- He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1997 for first-degree murder and child abuse.
- His appeals, including concerns about medication interaction with the lethal injection, were denied by the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The execution is set for 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke, using a three-drug lethal injection.
- Florida had 19 executions in 2025, the highest annual number since 1976, led by Governor Ron DeSantis.
- Another execution in Florida is planned later in June 2026 for a different inmate.
- Lethal injections in Florida use a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart.
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