Fiend who raped 8-year-old woman and her grandma earlier than killing them asks Supreme Courtroom to halt execution

A Florida man on Dying Row for raping an 8-year-old woman and her grandmother — after which killing them each — is asking the US Supreme Courtroom to halt his Thursday execution.

Edward James, 63, pleaded responsible to the rapes and murders of Betty Dick, 58, and Toni Neuner, 8, in Seminole County in 1993. On the time, he was renting a room in Dick’s dwelling, in keeping with court docket data.

James raped Toni earlier than fatally strangling her. Sooner or later throughout the act, he additionally threw the kid throughout the room, inflicting inside accidents.

He then raped Dick and repeatedly stabbed her within the again with a butcher’s knife, in keeping with court docket data. In whole, he stabbed Dick greater than 20 instances with two completely different knives, together with one with a blue deal with that police present in her hair after they arrived on the scene.

Each murders have been witnessed by Toni’s older sister Wendi, who James ultimately tied up and locked within the toilet. Toni’s two youthful brothers have been asleep in the home on the time, in keeping with court docket data.

James is about to face execution by deadly injection Thursday after serving simply over three a long time on Dying Row at Florida State Jail. The Florida Supreme Courtroom and federal appeals courts have denied requests to delay the execution however refused to.

Of their appeals to the courts, James’ attorneys have cited a steep “cognitive decline” of their consumer and argued that placing him to dying in his present state may very well be counted as a type of merciless and strange punishment.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed James’ dying warrant Feb. 1.

If the nation’s high court docket denies the prisoner’s remaining attraction, his execution will mark the second in Florida this yr. On Valentine’s Day, James Dennis Ford was executed by deadly injection for the 1997 homicide of a pair within the presence of their toddler.

In April, Michael Tanzi is about to face dying for the kidnapping and homicide of a Miami girl in 2000.