Florida Bishops appeal for stay of execution of two prisoners on same day

Source: FCCB

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has appealed to Governor Ron DeSantis to stay two executions scheduled for next Tuesday, July 28, 2026. James Duckett is scheduled to be executed at noon for the 1987 murder of eleven-year-old Teresa McAbee. Dominick Occhicone, Jr is scheduled to die at 6pm for the 1986 murder of Martha Artzner. Occhicone also received a life sentence for the murder of Raymond Artzner.

In a letter to DeSantis, FCCB Executive Director Michael Sheedy called on the governor to halt the executions of the two condemned men and commute their death sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Drawing on Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical Evangelium Vitae, Sheedy reaffirmed the Church's consistent teaching on the sanctity of human life and the dignity of every person, emphasizing, "not even a murderer loses his personal dignity."

Sheedy recognized the profound suffering caused by the crimes for which Duckett and Occhicone were convicted. He acknowledged the state's duty to punish the offenders while also pleading with the governor to spare their lives. "We appeal to you that it is possible both to uphold justice and to exercise mercy," wrote Sheedy.

Sheedy also expressed concern over scheduling two executions on the same day, stating that requiring state officers to carry out two executions "seems especially callous."

The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty attacks the inviolability of the human person. The alternative of lifelong incarceration without the possibility of parole is a severe yet more humane punishment that upholds the inherent dignity of the offender while also protecting society.

In the days leading up to the executions, Catholic faithful will gather with community members at various locations across Florida to pray for the souls of Teresa McAbee and Martha and Raymond Artzner, for Duckett and Occhicone as they face execution, and for DeSantis as he considers the request to spare their lives.

Read the full text of letter to DeSantis HERE

More than 70% of countries in the world have abolished the death penalty. USA, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea, use it regularly, while other countries such as Canada, Australia, and most of Europe, have abolished it.