Florida man executed in fatal stabbing of woman and her 4-year-old daughter
A Florida man was executed for the fatal stabbing of his cousin's girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter. Richard Knight, 47, was pronounced dead following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison. This marks the seventh execution in Florida this year, with a record number of executions occurring in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis.
- ▪Richard Knight was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 killings.
- ▪Knight confessed to the murders while in jail, which contributed to his conviction.
- ▪The Florida Supreme Court denied Knight's appeals, including claims of newly discovered evidence.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Local News Florida man executed for fatal stabbing of woman and her 4-year-old daughter By CBS Miami Team, The Associated Press Updated on: May 21, 2026 / 7:06 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A Florida man convicted of fatally stabbing his cousin's girlfriend and the couple's 4-year-old daughter was put to death Thursday evening, becoming the seventh person executed by the state this year.Richard Knight, 47, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. Eastern Time following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Knight was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the June 2002 killings of Odessia Stephens and her daughter, Hanessia Mullings.The curtain of the death chamber went up promptly at the scheduled 6:00 p.m. execution time.
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