A Florida man, Edward James, who committed a horrifying double murder in Seminole County in 1993, is scheduled to face execution next month. On Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant for the 63-year-old, cementing the date of execution for March 20 at the Florida State Prison.
The tragic events unfolded on September 19, 1993, when James violently assaulted 8-year-old Toni Neuner. At the time, she was visiting her grandmother, Betty Dick, who was also brutally murdered in the attack. James, who was residing in a room rented from Dick, inflicted severe harm on both victims.
Court documents reveal that James first strangled Toni Neuner before subjecting her to sexual assault and eventually threw her lifeless body across the room. The young girl sustained extensive internal injuries and was ultimately strangled to death. Following this act, James entered the bedroom of her grandmother, intending to commit further acts of violence. Instead, he attacked Betty Dick with two knives, stabbing her more than 20 times.
James pleaded guilty to both murders, along with charges of kidnapping and child abuse. Additionally, he entered a no contest plea for other allegations, claiming he could not recall those details.
If carried out, James’s execution will mark the second death penalty case in Florida this year. Earlier in the month, another man, James Dennis Ford, was executed for the 1997 murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
