MIAMI: A 54-year-old man convicted of a 1993 revenge killing is set to be executed in Florida on Tuesday, marking the 26th execution in the United States this year—the highest number in a decade.
Michael Bell will receive a lethal injection at 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) at Florida State Prison in Raiford for the murders of Jimmy West, 23, and Tamecka Smith, 18.
Florida has carried out seven executions this year, contributing to a national total of 25. Bell’s execution will bring the US count to 26, the highest since 2015 when 28 executions took place. Nine more executions are scheduled for the remainder of the year.
Bell was convicted in 1995 for shooting West and Smith outside a Jacksonville liquor store. Court records reveal he sought revenge for the killing of his brother, Lamar Bell, months earlier by West’s half-brother, Theodore Wright.
Despite presenting new evidence and recanted trial testimony, Bell’s final appeal was rejected by the Florida Supreme Court, which cited “overwhelming” evidence of his guilt.
This year, 20 executions in the US have been conducted via lethal injection, two by firing squad, and three by nitrogen hypoxia—a method involving nitrogen gas inhalation that has been condemned by UN experts as cruel and inhumane.
The death penalty remains legal in 27 US states, while 23 have abolished it. California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania currently enforce moratoriums. Former President Donald Trump has advocated for expanding capital punishment for severe crimes. – AFP
