An 80-year-old man is set to become the second-oldest individual in modern US history to face execution, many years after he viciously killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents.
Dominick Anthony Occhicone is slated to be executed today, marking a historic event as the oldest person in Florida’s history and the second oldest nationally to face the death penalty amid a trend of executions of condemned prisoners by the state. This year, the country has seen a total of 17 executions, with Florida leading in numbers compared to other states.
The elderly man was convicted of murdering Anita Gerrity’s parents back in 1986 and is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at 6pm local time, pending any unforeseen developments.
Despite a last-minute appeal to the US Supreme Court, Occhicone’s plea to halt his death sentence was rejected by Florida’s Supreme Court last week. His legal team argued that his advanced age and health issues, including kidney and prostate problems, would make his execution an exceptionally painful ordeal, possibly constituting a violation of Florida’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
Florida prison authorities have expressed confidence in their preparedness to carry out Occhicone’s execution, which typically involves a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart.
If the execution proceeds as planned, Occhicone will become the oldest inmate in Florida to be executed, shortly after two 74-year-old men briefly held that position. He will also rank as the second-oldest prisoner executed in modern US history, following the execution of 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. in Alabama in 2018.
Having spent 40 years on death row, Occhicone is the last surviving member of his immediate family, who had previously noted his escalating anger post his murder conviction, describing him as a potential “time bomb.”
In a tragic turn of events in 1986, Occhicone threatened Anita Gerrity about harming her family, leading to the fatal shooting of her parents, Raymond and Martha Artzner. Despite Gerrity’s refusal to engage with him, Occhicone callously shot her father and then pursued Gerrity, ultimately killing her mother before being apprehended on the same day.
Critics, including the organization Floridians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty, have denounced Occhicone’s execution as being inhumane, citing his deteriorating health conditions as cause for concern.
Grace Hannah, the organization’s executive director, condemned the decision, labeling it as “cruel and unusual punishment” and highlighting the ethical implications of executing an 80-year-old man with evident health challenges.