Florida executed James Robertson, 63, at Florida State Prison on Tuesday, according to Fox News. The report said he was pronounced dead about 10 minutes after a three-drug injection. Asked for a final statement, Robertson replied, “Nah, I’m straight,” the outlet reported.
Robertson had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for strangling his cellmate, Frank Hart, while Hart slept in 2008. He told investigators he committed the killing because he wanted a death sentence rather than spending the rest of his life in prison. Hart’s daughter, Rebecca Hart, spoke to reporters outside the prison about the lasting impact of her father’s death.
The execution came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant last week for William Lee Thompson, 74, who was sentenced to death in connection with the 1976 kidnapping and killing of Sally Ivester. The report said Thompson will remain on death row and that DeSantis gave no reason for withdrawing the warrant. Thompson’s attorneys have said he has dementia and declining health and have sought his transfer to a medical facility.
Fox News reported that Robertson was Florida’s 17th execution of 2026. Two additional executions were scheduled: William Reaves for Oct. 20 and Jesse Guardado for Nov. 5. These dates and figures are presented as reported in the source; the supplied material does not independently verify them.
