A 70-year-old man convicted in the decades-old killing of his teenage step-niece is scheduled for execution in Florida on Thursday evening.
James Ernest Hitchcock is set to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison, with the procedure expected to begin at 6 p.m.
Hitchcock was originally sentenced to death in 1977 after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1976 killing of 13-year-old Cynthia Driggers. Over the years, his case went through multiple appeals and resentencing hearings, resulting in death sentences again in 1988, 1993, and 1996.
According to court records, Hitchcock had recently moved into his brother’s home in Orlando before the crime. Investigators said he assaulted the girl in her bedroom and later attacked her when she threatened to report the incident. Authorities said he then took her outside, where she was fatally beaten and strangled.
During his trial, Hitchcock later changed his account, claiming his brother was responsible for the killing. He said he initially confessed to protect him. Courts ultimately rejected that version of events.
The Florida Supreme Court recently denied a request to stop the execution. His attorneys argued he was innocent and sought access to additional records, but the appeal was unsuccessful. A final request remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
If carried out, the execution would mark Florida’s sixth in 2026. The state executed 19 inmates in 2025, the highest number in the nation that year. Governor Ron DeSantis authorized a record number of executions during that period.
Another execution is already scheduled later this month, continuing Florida’s active use of capital punishment.