DeSantis Issues 8th 2026 Death Warrant for Broward Mom, Daughter Slayings

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Wednesday for a Broward County man convicted of murdering a mother and her four-year-old daughter in 2000, scheduling the execution for May 21.

The warrant orders the execution of Richard Knight, 47, for the killings of Odessia Stephens and her daughter, Hanessia Mullings, according to public documents. The signing came one day after Florida carried out its fifth execution of the year — a pace that signals DeSantis intends to work through death row cases at a sustained clip during the remainder of his term.

The warrant is DeSantis's eighth of 2026. Florida executes inmates at Florida State Prison in Raiford, roughly 200 miles north of the Treasure Coast. While Knight's crimes occurred in Broward County, Florida's death penalty enforcement is a statewide matter administered by the governor's office and the Department of Corrections, and it touches every Florida jurisdiction — including Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties — through the courts, law enforcement and the state budget.

Knight has been on death row for more than two decades. The double murder of Stephens and her young daughter drew a death sentence under Florida's capital punishment statute, officials said. Details of the specific circumstances of the killings were not immediately available in public records.

DeSantis has made aggressive use of the death warrant process since taking office. The pace of executions in 2026 reflects that posture. Florida is among the most active death-penalty states in the nation.

Knight's scheduled execution date of May 21 allows time for any remaining appeals to proceed through state and federal courts before the warrant takes effect.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.