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ORLANDO, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant to execute a man convicted in the 1979 murder of a Brevard County child.
Bryan Frederick Jennings, 66, is scheduled to be executed Nov. 13.
What we know:
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for Jennings, who was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering 6-year-old Rebecca Kunash in Merritt Island in 1979.
Gov. DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Bryan Frederick Jennings, convicted in the 1979 murder of a 6-year-old Merritt Island girl. [Credit: FDLE]
Jennings, a U.S. Marine home on leave at the time, abducted the child from her bedroom, assaulted her, and drowned her in a nearby canal. His execution is scheduled for Nov. 13 and would mark Florida’s 16th execution of 2025—a modern-era record.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether Jennings’ attorneys plan to file last-minute appeals, which could delay or stay his execution.
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The backstory:
Jennings was sentenced to death in 1986 after an 11-1 jury recommendation. The sentencing judge described the murder as "cold, calculated and premeditated."
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Since reinstating capital punishment in 1976, Florida’s previous record for executions in a single year was eight, in both 1984 and 2014. DeSantis has far surpassed that pace in 2025.
Big picture view:
The death warrant continues a year of rapid executions under DeSantis, whose administration has prioritized carrying out death sentences.
The previous modern-era record for executions in a year was eight in 1984 and 2014. The modern era represents the time since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, after a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling halted it.
The Source: This story was written based on reporting by the News Service of Florida.