NEWYou can now hear Fox News articles. A Florida man is scheduled to be executed next month following his conviction for the killing of his girlfriend’s cousin and her 4-year old daughter under a warrant signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. Richard Knight, 47, is scheduled to die by lethal infusion at Florida State Prison in Starke, May 21, as part of a number of death warrants that the governor has signed. Knight was convicted of the 2000 murders Odessia Stevens and her daughter, Hanessia, according to WFLA. Prosecutors claimed that Knight and Stephens had been in an argument on the night of the murder. Authorities described the killings as “heinous and cruel” in court records, according to the outlet. Investigators say that Stephens suffered stab wounds on her chest, chin, and back. She also had injuries that indicated she was strangled. Knight’s attorneys have been unable to appeal this case. In 2025, Florida will set a new record for the number of executions. The previous record was eight in 1984 and 2014. Florida had a record of eight executions per year between 1984 and 2014, but that was before last year. In the United States, 47 people will be executed by 2025. This year, Florida has already executed 5 people. Another execution is scheduled for April 30 when James Hitchcock 70, is scheduled to die for the rape of his 13-year old step-niece.
