A Florida person was executed Thursday for killing a 14-year-aged babysitter and a 38-year-aged mom of two in individual assaults months aside in 1984 although young children ended up sleeping in the houses he specific.
Duane Owen was pronounced useless at 6:14 p.m. right after a lethal injection at Florida State Jail, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office environment. Just one of Florida’s longest-held death row inmates, Owen was 23 at the time of the assaults and 62 when he was executed.
Owen declined to make a closing statement. The procedure started at 6:01 p.m., with Owen’s arms twitching and his respiration turning into heavier as the sedative took result. The warden designed confident Owen was unconscious ahead of right before lethal prescription drugs were administered.
Various spouse and children members of the victims witnessed the execution. No just one in the witness room spoke.
Owen was sentenced to death for the March 24, 1984, rape and fatal stabbing of Karen Slattery, 14, and for the rape and fatal hammer assault two months later on on Georgianna Worden, 38. Both of those killings transpired in Palm Seashore County.
Authorities mentioned Owen attacked two other women of all ages in Palm Beach County who survived. All four assaults happened just right before and following Owen’s 23rd birthday. Of the extra than 290 persons on Florida’s dying row, Owen was one of the longest held there.
In addition to his dying sentences, he also had received 6 daily life sentences.
It was Florida’s fourth execution this year immediately after a hiatus in which there were none due to the fact 2019. Gov. DeSantis, a Republican, signed each and every of the demise warrants in the months prior to saying he was jogging for president.
Slattery was repeatedly stabbed and raped in a property in Delray Beach whilst two little ones in her treatment had been sleeping. The little ones weren’t harmed through the attack.
Two months later on, in Could 1984, Worden was sleeping in her Boca Raton dwelling when Owen struck her many situations with a hammer and raped her, according to courtroom documents. 1 of Worden’s youngsters discovered her entire body the next early morning although receiving prepared for faculty, in accordance to the record.
Delray Seaside and Boca Raton are each about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Miami, in Palm Beach front County.
Owen’s legal professionals had argued that he shouldn’t be executed on grounds of insanity. The condition Supreme Courtroom turned down his hottest attraction final week and the U.S. Supreme Courtroom turned down it Wednesday.
Owen’s attorneys had also argued that he was schizophrenic and suffered from delusions.
Prosecutors had argued that though Owen had psychological overall health problems, absolutely nothing would preclude his becoming executed mainly because he was conscious it was punishment for his crimes. Psychiatrists for the state testified that Owen’s schizophrenia was an act that he discussed when remaining evaluated, but he otherwise confirmed no signals of the illness.
And though the protection experienced argued Owen experienced dementia and gender dysphoria, psychiatrists for the point out said Owen experienced a very good memory, failed to appear to existing himself as feminine and that gender dysphoria does not make men and women more aggressive or induce delusional contemplating. They explained instead that Owen was sexually sadistic, in accordance to court data.
