DeSantis Signs 9th Death Warrant of 2026 for Man Convicted in Killing of Infant

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his ninth death warrant of 2026 on Friday for Andrew Richard Lukehart, convicted in the murder of a five-month-old infant in Duval County — one day after the state carried out the execution of James Hitchcock.

The back-to-back actions underscore a markedly accelerated pace of capital punishment in Florida under DeSantis. Lukehart has been held on Florida's death row for his role in the killing of the infant.

For Treasure Coast residents, the pace of executions reflects a broader legal and political reality administered from Tallahassee. Florida maintains one of the largest death row populations in the United States, and state courts — including appeals panels that often review cases routed through circuits serving Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — remain central to capital case litigation statewide.

DeSantis has made the resumption of executions a signature policy posture. The frequency of warrants in 2026 has drawn scrutiny from capital defense attorneys and civil liberties groups who argue the pace leaves insufficient time for courts to review claims of innocence or prosecutorial misconduct. Advocates for victims' families have countered that decades-long delays in carrying out sentences compound suffering for those who lost loved ones.

An execution date for Lukehart was not immediately available in public documents as of Friday afternoon.

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