Florida Executes Two Men For 1994, 1995 Murders Amid National Increase

Florida has seen a notable increase in executions in 2025, with six already carried out and more scheduled, all by lethal injection under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Among those executed was Anthony Wainwright, who was put to death for the 1994 abduction, rape, and murder of 23-year-old nursing student Carmen Gayheart, a case that involved a prison escape and crime spree. Another scheduled execution is Michael Bernard Bell, convicted for multiple murders including a revenge killing outside a Jacksonville bar. These actions reflect an uptick in capital punishment across the United States this year, with states like Alabama and Oklahoma also scheduling executions. The increased use of the death penalty coincides with the Trump administration's efforts to resume federal executions. Families of victims, such as Gayheart's sister, have expressed mixed feelings about the lengthy appeals process, which can prolong closure while reopening old wounds.