Florida High Court Stops Ex-Cop’s Execution Pending DNA Testing

The Florida Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the scheduled execution of James Aren Duckett, a former police officer convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl in 1987. The 68-year-old was set to be executed Tuesday, but the court wants DNA testing completed that could potentially clear him.

STARKE, Fla. — A former Florida police officer who was set to be executed Tuesday for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl has received a temporary reprieve from the state’s highest court.

The Florida Supreme Court issued an execution stay Thursday for James Aren Duckett, 68, who was scheduled to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Duckett received a death sentence in 1988 following his conviction on charges of first-degree murder and sexual battery.

During his appeals, Duckett requested DNA testing that his legal team believes might prove his innocence. A lower court approved the testing request, but results are still outstanding. The state Supreme Court has given prosecutors until 5 p.m. Friday to provide an update on the DNA testing progress.

Should the execution stay remain in place beyond Tuesday, it remains uncertain when or if Duckett’s execution would proceed.

Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration, Florida executed a record-breaking 19 individuals in 2025 — more than any Florida governor has overseen in a single year since capital punishment resumed in 1976. The previous high was eight executions in 2014.

Court documents show Duckett served as a police officer in Mascotte, a small community located west of Orlando. On the evening of May 11, 1987, while Duckett was on duty, 11-year-old Teresa McAbee vanished after witnesses saw her enter his patrol vehicle at a local convenience store.

Authorities discovered McAbee’s body the following morning in a nearby lake, less than a mile from the convenience store. An autopsy revealed she had been sexually assaulted before drowning. Physical evidence including blood and hair connected her to Duckett. Investigators also found tire impressions at the lake scene that matched those used on Mascotte police vehicles. Both Duckett’s and McAbee’s fingerprints were discovered on his patrol car’s hood.

During the trial, three teenage girls provided testimony that Duckett had previously offered them rides and made inappropriate sexual overtures toward each of them.

Nationwide, 47 individuals were executed in 2025, with Florida leading all states due to numerous death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas each carried out five executions, tying for second place.

Florida conducts all executions through lethal injection, using a three-drug protocol that includes a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a substance that stops the heart, according to state corrections officials.