The Dark Side of Execution Records: A Troubling Trend in Florida The execution of Richard Knight for the 2002 murders of his cousin's girlfriend and her four year old daughter has brought the number of people put to death by Florida this year to seven.
This pace raises questions about Governor Ron DeSantis's role in driving a troubling trend. Under Republican Gov.
DeSantis, Florida has broken its own record for most executions in a single year, with 19 carried out in 2025. This surpasses even the previous high set in 2014 under Democratic Gov. Rick Scott.