Florida to execute man who demanded death penalty for 2008 prison murder
James Robertson, 63, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Oct. 13 for the 2008 murder of his cellmate. Courtesy: Florida Department of Corrections.
STARKE, Fla. - A 63-year-old Florida prisoner who admitted to strangling his cellmate in 2008 so he could be sent to death row is set to be executed on Tuesday.
James Robertson is scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke after waiving all post-conviction appeals.
Florida inmate to be executed Tuesday
What we know:
Robertson was serving a sentence for burglary and assault when he choked his cellmate, Frank Hart, to death at Charlotte Correctional Institution in December 2008. Robertson told investigators the attack was unprovoked and that he killed Hart specifically to receive a death sentence.
He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, waived a jury penalty phase, and repeatedly refused to make final appeals to state or federal courts.
What we don't know:
It is not clear what specific prison conditions drove Robertson to seek a death sentence over living out his life in state custody.
DeSantis withdraws second warrant
The backstory:
Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant last week for 74-year-old William Lee Thompson, who was also scheduled to die Tuesday. DeSantis gave no official reason for withdrawing the warrant, but he had temporarily stayed the execution in September pending a psychiatric evaluation.
This marks the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant. Thompson, who was convicted in a 1976 murder, will remain on death row and could face a new execution warrant in the future. His lawyers say he suffers from failing health and dementia.
Execution record in Florida
By the numbers:
Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, the highest single-year total for any Florida governor since 1976. Robertson is the state's 17th execution this year, with two more scheduled in the coming weeks.
Nationally, 47 people were executed in 2025. Florida has accounted for more than half of all executions in the country so far this year.
Debate over death penalty
What they're saying:
Death penalty opponents argued the case undermines claims that capital punishment acts as a deterrent. Maria DeLiberato, legal and policy director for Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said the case highlights how the threat of execution can sometimes drive prison violence.
DeSantis has defended the state's pace of executions, stating his goal is to bring long-awaited justice to victims' families.
What's next:
Florida has two more executions scheduled in the coming weeks. William Reaves, 77, is scheduled to die Oct. 20, and Jesse Guardado, 64, is scheduled to die Nov. 5.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from court records, official statements from Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, and statements from Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as reporting from the Associated Press.