Man guilty of killing his 13-year-old step-niece is set to be Florida's 6th execution of 2026
James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to be executed in Florida for the 1976 murder of his 13-year-old step-niece, Cynthia Driggers, after being convicted of beating and choking her to death. The execution, set for Thursday evening at Florida State Prison, would be the state's sixth in 2026 following a record number of executions in 2025. Hitchcock's appeals, including claims of innocence and denied access to public records, have been rejected by the Florida Supreme Court, with a final appeal pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
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ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsGood Morning AmericaShopGMAInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onMan guilty of killing his 13-year-old step-niece is set to be Florida's 6th execution of 2026A man convicted of beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death is set to be executed in FloridaByThe Associated PressApril 30, 2026, 12:01 AM1:24FILE - Clouds hover over the entrance of the Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla., Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, File)The Associated PressSTARKE, Fla. -- A Florida man convicted of beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death nearly 50 years ago is set to be executed Thursday evening.
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