Florida is set to execute James Robertson, 63, by lethal injection at noon today, Oct. 13, at Florida State Prison in Raiford, for killing his cellmate using a pair of socks.
On Dec. 10, 2008, Robertson, who had spent nearly 30 years in prison, fashioned a garrote by tying several socks together and strangled his cellmate Frank Hart to death. According to court records, Robertson confessed there had been no provocation or fight before he killed Hart and that he'd planned the murder so he would be sent to death row.
Robertson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Hart's death and waived his jury penalty phase, and in 2012, he was sentenced to death. After his death sentence was affirmed on a mandatory direct appeal, Robertson waived his right
to further postconviction proceedings and fired his attorney. No appeals have been filed since.
Robertson's execution was initially scheduled to be the first of two for the day, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew the death warrant for William Lee Thompson on Oct. 8, after appointing three psychiatrists to evaluate Thompson, whose lawyers had argued Thompson's mental capacity, including possible dementia, meant he could not be executed under Florida law.
Barring any last-minute appeals or a stay, Robertson will be the 17th person executed in Florida in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Live updates: Florida to execute man who killed to get death sentence
