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Florida executed a man Thursday convicted of fatally shooting a man and a woman during a home invasion robbery, and who later confessed to three other killings, marking the state’s 19th execution of the year.
Frank Athen Walls, 58, received a three-drug injection at about 6 p.m. at the Florida State Prison near Starke, and was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. He was sentenced to death in 1988 after convictions on two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, as well as burglary and theft.
The Florida Supreme Court later overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial. Walls was again convicted and sentenced to death in 1992.
The Associated Press reported that at 6 p.m., the curtain to the death chamber went up. Walls was strapped to the gurney and mostly covered by a blanket. His left arm was extended, and an IV was injected. At the foot of the gurney was a Catholic priest who was seated with his right hand extended toward Walls’ lower leg.
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Florida executed Frank Athen Walls for a 1987 double murder after state and U.S. Supreme Court rulings cleared the way, closing decades of appeals and confessions. (Florida Department of Corrections)
Walls gave an apology in a brief statement, Alex Lanfronconi, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
“Good evening, everyone,” Walls reportedly said. “I appreciate the opportunity to say what’s on my heart. If any of the members of the family are here, I am sorry for all of the things I did, the pain I caused, and all of that you have suffered all these years.”
The execution started after Walls issued the statement, and the priest remained next to Walls, appearing to pray.
Court records show Walls broke into a mobile home in the Florida Panhandle belonging to Eglin Air Force Base airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson, in July 1987.
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Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, File)
After tying them up, Alger managed to break loose and confront the attacker. Walls cut Alger’s throat and shot him in the head as the airman fought back, then moved to Peterson and shot her as she struggled.
The day after the bodies were found, Walls was arrested after his roommate notified police about his odd behavior.
Investigators searched the home and reported finding items from the crime scene. Walls later confessed to the killings.
Following his conviction, DNA evidence connected Walls to the May 1987 rape and murder of Audrey Gygi. He pleaded no contest, sparing him another trial and a potential death sentence.
Walls also admitted responsibility for the killings of Tommie Lou Whiddon in March 1985 and Cynthia Sue Condra in September 1986 as part of a deal with prosecutors.
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A gurney used in giving lethal injections to convicted death row inmates. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
His attorneys appealed the convictions in state court, claiming he should be disqualified from execution because of his intellectual disability and other medical issues. However, last week the Florida Supreme Court ruled against Walls.
The U.S. Supreme Court also denied his request for a stay of execution on Thursday afternoon.
Walls woke up at about 5:10 a.m. Thursday, and according to corrections department spokesperson Jordan Kirland, he remained compliant.
Officials did not say whether any family members of the victims would attend the execution.
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Forty-six men have been executed by court order so far in the U.S. this year, and more than a dozen others are scheduled to be put to death next year.
The Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, and since then the most executions Florida had carried out in a single year was eight, set in 2014.
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Florida has executed more individuals this year than any other state, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, with five each.
Florida’s lethal injections use a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.