The Florida Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay of execution for former police officer James Aren Duckett, who was convicted of the 1987 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. The court's decision, announced on Thursday, halts the lethal injection that was scheduled for Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Details of the Case and Stay
James Aren Duckett, now 68 years old, was sentenced to death in 1988 after being found guilty of first-degree murder and sexual battery in the killing of Teresa McAbee. As part of his ongoing appeals process, Duckett had requested DNA testing, arguing it could potentially exonerate him. A circuit court granted this request, and the testing is still pending.
The Florida Supreme Court has ordered the state to provide an update on the status of the DNA testing by 5 p.m. on Friday. If the stay is not lifted by Tuesday, it remains uncertain when or if the execution will proceed.
Background of the Crime
According to court records, Duckett worked as a police officer in Mascotte, a small city located west of Orlando. On the night of May 11, 1987, while on patrol, 11-year-old Teresa McAbee disappeared after being seen getting into Duckett's patrol car at a convenience store.
McAbee's body was discovered the following morning in a lake less than a mile from the store. A medical examiner determined she had been sexually assaulted and drowned. Evidence linking Duckett to the crime included blood and hair samples, distinct tire tracks at the lake that matched Mascotte patrol cars, and fingerprints from both Duckett and McAbee found on the hood of Duckett's vehicle.
During the trial, three teenage girls testified that Duckett had previously given them rides and made sexual advances.
Execution Trends in Florida
In 2025, Florida led the United States in executions with a record 19 carried out under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. This marked the highest number in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1976, surpassing the previous record of eight executions set in 2014.
Nationally, a total of 47 executions were conducted in 2025. Following Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas tied for second place with five executions each. Florida's executions are performed via lethal injection using a three-drug protocol: a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart, as outlined by the Department of Corrections.
The stay in Duckett's case highlights ongoing legal debates surrounding capital punishment and the role of new evidence in death penalty appeals.
