Florida Nears Record Eighth Execution in 2025 with Michael Bell

Michael Bernard Bell is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on July 15, 2025, at Florida State Prison near Starke for the 1993 murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith outside a Jacksonville bar. His execution will mark the eighth in Florida this year, tying the state's record for executions in a single calendar year, with another execution planned later in July. Bell was convicted not only for this double homicide but also pleaded guilty to three additional murders, including a woman and her toddler in 1989 and his mother's boyfriend. Florida leads the nation in executions in 2025, surpassing states like Texas and South Carolina, amid an accelerated pace under Governor Ron DeSantis, who has expanded execution methods to include firing squads and nitrogen gas. Duval County, where the crimes took place, has historically had the highest number of executions in Florida, including the state's first execution by electrocution in 1924. Victims' families and prosecutors have expressed support for the use of the death penalty, highlighting ongoing suffering and calls for retribution.