James Dennis Ford, 64, was executed in Florida for the 1997 murders of Gregory and Kimberly Malnory. Ford was pronounced dead at 6:19pm ET after receiving lethal injection drugs at the Florida State Prison in Raiford.
Maranda Malnory was 23 months old when Ford shot her father, Gregory Malnory, in the head with a .22-caliber rifle, bludgeoned him, and slit his throat. Ford then raped, beat, and shot Kimberly Malnory. Maranda was left behind as Ford fled the scene. She was found nearly a day later dehydrated and covered in insect bites by an employee of a nearby sod farm.
Maranda Malnory, now an adult, said she has little recollection of the killings, but grieves her parents nonetheless. "I told one of my grandmas the other day you grieve the people you knew," she told Gulf Coast News Now ahead of the execution. "But I grieve what could have been."
Both the U.S. Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court rejected recent appeals from Ford ahead of the execution. His lawyers had argued that while Ford was 36 at the time of the murders, he had a mental age of 14, and diabetes-related symptoms that caused him to black out and act erratically.
State officials said that on his last day, Ford woke up at 3:30am, received three family visitors, and later consumed a final meal of steak, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, pumpkin pie, and sweet tea. He reportedly did not offer any final public statements.
Ford was the first execution in the state this year, and the fourth nationwide. Later Thursday, Texas executed Richard Lee Tabler, who officials say killed four people in the city of Killeen in 2004.
9 Comments
Rolihlahla
Even if he had mental issues, he shouldn't have been executed. Life in prison was a better punishment.
G P Floyd Jr
The death penalty is irreversible. What if, years down the line, we find out he wasn't actually guilty? This execution would be an unforgivable mistake.
Martin L King
justice prevails. No matter how long it takes, those who commit such terrible crimes will eventually face their consequences.
G P Floyd Jr
What about Maranda? Does this execution truly bring her any peace or closure? It seems to only satisfy our thirst for vengeance.
Karamba
He may not have remembered, but that doesn't mean he didn't suffer. The death penalty is just barbaric.
Africa
Executing the mentally disabled sets a dangerous precedent. We should be caring for those who need help, not punishing them with the ultimate penalty.
Habibi
I can't believe this is still happening in our society. We need to move towards more humane and restorative forms of justice.
Coccinella
Taking another life doesn't solve anything. We should be working to prevent such crimes, not just punishing them with more death.
ZmeeLove
It's time to move on. This execution has been carried out, the legal process is complete. Let's focus now on healing and supporting the families affected.