Florida carried out an unusually rare double execution on Tuesday, putting two death row inmates, James Duckett, 68, and Dominick Occhione, 80, to death by lethal injection on the same day.

Duckett, a former police officer convicted in the 1987 murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee, was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m. Occhione, convicted of the 1986 murders of his former fiancée's parents, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m., becoming one of the oldest prisoners executed in Florida in modern record-keeping history.

These executions mark the 11th and 12th in Florida this year. The state leads the nation in executions, with Governor Ron DeSantis overseeing a significant increase in the pace of executions during his tenure. Nationwide, 19 executions have been carried out this year, with Florida accounting for more than all other states combined. Another execution is scheduled for August.

Duckett maintained his innocence throughout his time on death row. His legal team made a last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow DNA testing on items of clothing and biological samples from McAbee, arguing the tests could prove his innocence. The appeal was denied by Justice Clarence Thomas without comment.

McAbee vanished in May 1987 after leaving her home to buy school supplies. Duckett, then a local police officer, was the last person seen with her. Her body was discovered the next morning. Evidence presented at trial included a hair sample found on McAbee's underwear that an FBI analyst testified was nearly identical to Duckett's, although another expert disputed the match. A jailhouse informant also provided testimony that was later recanted. Duckett was convicted in 1988.

Relatives of Jeanifer Weldon, a 15-year-old girl whose unsolved murder has been linked to Duckett, were present at his execution, stating it offered them some closure.

Occhione apologized to the victims' families in his final statement, saying he was sorry for the hurt he caused. He had been convicted of murdering Raymond and Martha Artzner after their daughter, Anita Gerrety, had ended their engagement. Gerrety testified that Occhione had threatened her and her family. He broke into the Artzners' home and shot both parents. Occhione's defense argued that his alcohol abuse and mental state prevented him from forming intent to kill, but a jury recommended the death penalty.

The families of the victims expressed that the executions marked the end of a long and painful journey.