A Florida man convicted of beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death nearly 50 years ago is scheduled to be executed on Thursday evening. James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is set to receive a three-drug lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Background of the Crime
Hitchcock was initially sentenced to death in 1977 after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the July 31, 1976, killing of Cynthia Driggers. Following multiple appeals, he was resentenced to death in 1988, 1993, and 1996. According to court records, Hitchcock was unemployed and had moved into his brother's Orlando home several weeks before the murder. On the day of the killing, after drinking beer and smoking marijuana with friends, he returned home and raped the 13-year-old girl. When she threatened to tell her mother, he choked and beat her, then left her body in bushes. He later showered and went to bed.
Legal Proceedings and Appeals
Hitchcock later recanted his confession during trial, claiming his brother had committed the murder in a fit of rage after finding them in a consensual sexual encounter. He said he initially took the blame to protect his brother. The Florida Supreme Court denied a last-week appeal to halt the execution. His attorneys argued innocence and illegal denial of public records access. A final appeal remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Florida's Execution Record
This would be Florida's sixth execution in 2026, following a record 19 executions in 2025 under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The previous record was eight executions in 2014. Nationwide, 47 people were executed in 2025, with Florida leading. Another execution is scheduled for May 21: Richard Knight, 47, for the fatal stabbing of his cousin's girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter.
All Florida executions use lethal injection with a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
