Man convicted of murder and rape executed in Florida

A Florida man found guilty of killing a college freshman and raping the victim's older sister while the two were on a camping trip was executed on Thursday.

The state administered a lethal injection to 57-year-old Loran Cole at Florida State Prison. He was pronounced dead at 18:15 local time (23:15 BST).

He was given the death penalty for killing18-year-old John Edwards in 1994, and was also serving two life sentences for rape.

The US Supreme Court denied Cole's appeal against the death penalty earlier on Thursday.

Warning: This story contains details readers may find distressing.

His defence attorneys had argued the he should not be executed, noting that he suffered from Parkinson's Disease and had been diagnosed with mental illness and brain damage.

His lawyers wrote in the last-minute Supreme Court appeal that Cole's Parkinson symptoms would "make it impossible" for the execution to be conducted in a humane manner.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody contended in a legal brief that Cole only brought up the disease after the execution was scheduled, despite knowing "that he suffers from involuntary tremors for at least seven years".

The Supreme Court rejected his appeal without explanation, which is typical when they weigh in on these types of death penalty cases.

Cole had nothing to say when offered the chance to give a final statement, the Associated Press reported.

He responded "No, sir" when asked for his last words.

The death row inmate's son and another individual visited Cole before the execution, according to the AP. He ate pizza and ice cream as his last meal.

Local media reported that Cole inhaled deeply and his body trembled until he finally stopped breathing and was declared dead.

His lawyers had previously sought an appeal on the grounds that Cole had lived through "horrific and tragic" abuse at the Arthur G Dozier School for Boys - a notorious Florida reform school where personnel physically, mentally and sexually abused the children sent there for decades.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed Cole's death warrant, signed a bill that set aside $20m (£15.2m) for the school's victims earlier this year.

The school inspired The Nickel Boys, a novel written by Colson Whitehead, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020.

Thirty years ago, Cole and another man named William Paul befriended Edwards and his sister Pam while they were on a camping trip in Florida's Ocala National Forest, according to court records.

The men lured the college students away from the campsite, jumped them and robbed them, the records say.

The brother, 18, was a student at Florida State University. He was beaten, had his throat slit and his body was abandoned in the forest.

His sister, 21, was a senior at Eckerd College. Cole brought her back to the campsite, tied her to a tree and raped her, according to the court documents. He left her there overnight and raped her again the next day.

She eventually escaped and sought help from someone driving nearby.

Paul and Cole were both convicted of first-degree murder and given life sentences.

The sibling's parents, who did not attend the execution, had prison officials read a statement after the execution on Thursday.

“We are void of feelings and empathy for Mr Cole. He placed himself into this arena,” the statement said.

“He does not deserve mercy.”