A man convicted of murdering a college freshman and raping the victim’s older sister during a camping trip was executed on Thursday.
Florida Man Murder Case
Loran Cole, 57, was injected with a lethal injection at Florida State Prison and was pronounced dead at 6:15 PM local time. He had been condemned to death for the murder of 18-year-old John Edwards in 1994 and was serving two life terms for rape. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Cole’s final appeal earlier Thursday.
Cole’s defense attorneys argued against his execution, citing his Parkinson’s Disease, mental illness, and brain damage. They claimed that his Parkinson’s symptoms would “make it impossible” for the execution to be carried out humanely.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody countered that Cole had only brought up the disease after the execution date was set, despite knowing about his involuntary tremors for at least seven years. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal without explanation, which is typical in death penalty cases.
Cole refused to make a final statement. When asked if he had any last words, he replied, “No, sir.” He had his son and another person visit him before his execution. For his last meal, Cole opted for pizza and ice cream. Local media reported that Cole took a deep breath and shuddered until he stopped breathing and was pronounced dead.
His lawyers had earlier filed an appeal based on the “horrific and tragic” abuse Cole suffered at the notorious Florida reform school known as the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, where children were tortured, both physically and mentally, and sexually abused for decades. Earlier this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed Cole’s death warrant, passed a bill that allocated $20 million for the school’s victims.
The school was the inspiration for “The Nickel Boys,” a novel by Colson Whitehead that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020.
Thirty years ago, Cole and another man, William Paul, befriended Edwards and his sister Pam during a camping trip in Florida’s Ocala National Forest. According to court records, the men lured the siblings away from their campsite, attacked, and robbed them. John Edwards, 18, a Florida State University student, was beaten, his throat slashed, and left in the woods. His sister, Pam, 21, is a senior at Eckerd College, taken back to campsite, tied to tree, and raped. He left her there overnight. The next day, Cole raped her again before she escaped and found help.
Both Cole and Paul were convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to prison life.
The siblings parents who were not present when their children were executed said the following statement through their letters which were read by officials to the prison. “We are void of feelings and empathy for Mr. Cole. He placed himself into this arena,” the statement read.
The Case
In 1994, Loran Cole was convicted of killing John Edwards mercilessly and raping his sister, Pam. The gruesome nature of the crime caught everyone in the community and gained heavy media attention. Thursday saw the end of the court process, following numerous trials and appeals.
Details of the Execution
The execution was carried out under Florida’s standard procedures for capital punishment. Authorities reported that the process followed all legal protocols. The decision came after an exhaustive review of the case and numerous unsuccessful appeals.
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