James Duckett, 68, was executed by lethal injection on July 28 for the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Investigators believe Duckett, who was a police officer for the Mascotte Police Department at the time of McAbee's murder, also killed 14-year-old Jeanifer Weldon later that same year.

McAbee’s family attended Duckett’s execution at the Florida State Prison in Raiford. They were joined by family and friends of Weldon.

Investigators stopped pursuing a conviction for Weldon's murder out of concern it would delay Duckett's execution, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "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 said.

Two Lives Lost

McAbee disappeared in May 1987 and was last seen with Duckett in his patrol car. Her body was found later, showing evidence of sexual assault, strangulation, and drowning. Duckett was named a suspect and fired from his job as an officer a month later, with fingerprint and DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

Three months after McAbee's murder, Weldon disappeared in Polk County, about an hour south of Mascotte. She was last seen walking home with a new stuffed kitten.

Her remains were found approximately two weeks later in a wooded area. Investigators believe Duckett used his law enforcement uniform to gain Weldon's trust, convincing her he could provide a safe ride home. She died by strangulation, and investigators suspect she was raped.

A Heartbreaking Clue

Duckett was arrested for McAbee's killing and sexual battery a month after Weldon's death and quickly became a suspect in her killing as well. However, the evidence in Weldon's case was more circumstantial.

Investigators noted that on the night Weldon disappeared, Duckett left his new mining job early, driving past the area where she would have been walking. He arrived at work late and sweaty, claiming car trouble. The following day, Duckett brought home a stuffed kitten in a green plastic bag for his children, matching the one Weldon had purchased. Additionally, Duckett had scratches on his back, which he attributed to climbing under a barbed wire fence at work.

Despite tens of thousands of hours spent pursuing a conviction in Weldon's case, investigators continued to search for DNA evidence years later. Duckett did not confess to Weldon's murder before his execution.

"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 time it took for Duckett to face execution. "The problem is we didn't put him to death soon enough," Judd said. "You know, it's never too soon to kill a psychopathic, child predator... It's never too soon."