Florida Man Loran Cole Executed for Murder

Loran Cole, 57, was executed by lethal injection in Florida for the 1994 murder of college freshman John Edwards and the rape of Edwards' sister during a camping trip. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Cole's last-minute appeal, which argued that his Parkinson's disease and mental illness would render the execution inhumane. Cole's defense contended that he had suffered horrific abuse at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, but this did not influence the court's decision. Cole did not provide a final statement when offered the chance, simply responding 'No, sir.' His execution marks the first in Florida since October 2023, following Governor Ron DeSantis' signing of his death warrant. The case has drawn attention due to the brutal nature of the crimes and the history of abuse at the reform school where Cole was previously held.