Florida is scheduled to execute James Robertson, 63, by lethal injection at noon today at Florida State Prison. Robertson was convicted of killing his cellmate, Frank Hart, at Charlotte Correctional Institution in 2008. Prosecutors said he strangled Hart with socks he had tied together, and investigators said Robertson confessed, telling them he was tired of prison life.
If the execution goes forward, it will be Florida’s 17th of 2026, and the state’s first since Tennessee’s attempt to execute Krista Pike failed on September 30. That case put lethal injection procedures back in the national spotlight and raised questions that officials in several states are still answering.
The Charlotte Correctional connection makes this story local for the Suncoast. It’s a case that began in our region and ends today in a state prison hundreds of miles away. ABC7 will have a crew on scene, and we’ll update this story as details come in. Where do you stand on the death penalty debate in Florida after Tennessee’s failed execution? Let us know in the comments.
