James Duckett, a 68-year-old former police officer, was executed by lethal injection on July 28 at Florida State Prison for the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. The execution provided a measure of closure for the families of both McAbee and 14-year-old Jeanifer Weldon, whom authorities believe was also a victim of Duckett.
McAbee disappeared in May 1987 and was last seen with Duckett, then on duty with the Mascotte Police Department, in his patrol car. Her body was found days later, showing signs of sexual assault, strangulation, and drowning. Strong fingerprint and DNA evidence linked Duckett to the crime, and he was fired from the police force a month later. He was later sentenced to death for McAbee’s murder.
Four months after McAbee’s murder, Weldon disappeared on September 19, 1987, in Polk County, about an hour south of Duckett’s former jurisdiction. Investigators believe Duckett used his law enforcement status to gain Weldon’s trust, convincing her to accept a ride home. Weldon’s skeletal remains were discovered nearly two weeks after her disappearance in a wooded area. She had been strangled, and investigators suspected rape.
Duckett became a suspect in Weldon's killing as well, but the evidence was more circumstantial. Investigators noted he left work early on the day Weldon disappeared, driving past the route she would have taken home. He arrived at his new mining job sweaty and late, claiming car trouble, but investigators found his hands clean. The following day, Duckett brought home a stuffed kitten in a green plastic bag, matching one purchased by Weldon shortly before her disappearance. Scratches were also found on his back.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated that authorities stopped actively pursuing a conviction for Weldon’s murder once Duckett was sentenced to death for McAbee's killing. He explained that the decision was made to avoid potentially prolonging Duckett's life by creating more legal defense arguments. "It had been decided that piecing together evidence on the case could ‘jam up’ the process or ‘create more defense, or more arguments, or more excuses why he shouldn’t be executed,’" Judd told reporters on July 30.
Despite not being convicted in Weldon's death, Duckett’s execution brought a sense of finality for her family. "I’m confident the right person was executed," said Amy Weldon, Jeanifer Weldon’s younger sister. "I don’t like how long it took, but I am confident 100% that the right person died.”
Sheriff Judd expressed frustration with the delay in justice, noting that Duckett had multiple appeals over the 38 years following the murders. "He just didn’t pay soon enough, but he did pay," Judd said.