A look at status of US executions in 2025
PTI
Last Updated:
Washington, Jul 26 (AP) Twenty-six men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 10 other people are scheduled to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025.
The next scheduled execution is in Florida, when a man who killed his wife and two children is set to be put to death July 31. Florida also was the last state to execute someone, when Michael Bernard Bell died by lethal injection on July 15.
Meanwhile, Florida recently set its 10th execution of the year when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for a man who abducted a woman from an insurance office and killed her 42 years ago. Kayle Bates is scheduled to be executed in August.
Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Utah also have scheduled executions for later this year.
Executions have been carried out this year in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
The number of executions this year exceeds the 25 executions carried out last year and in 2018. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death.
The uptick in executions can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done, said John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project.
A sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office aimed at urging prosecutors to seek the death penalty and preserving capital punishment in the states also may have fueled the increase, Blume said.
All but one execution this year has occurred in states run by Republican governors, with Arizona the exception.
Here's a look at recent executions and those scheduled for the rest of the year, by state: Florida Edward J. Zakrzewski is scheduled to be put to death in Florida on July 31 for killing his wife and two young children in 1994 after she sought a divorce.
He eventually turned himself into law enforcement after the case was profiled on the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries." Bates, 67, who is scheduled to be executed Aug. 19, was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White.
Tennessee Byron Black, 69, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Aug. 5. Black was convicted in 1989 of three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two daughters in Nashville.
Black's lawyer asked a judge to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to deactivate an implanted defibrillation device similar to a pacemaker in the moments before his execution.
A Tennessee judge ruled Tuesday that the state can deactivate the heart-regulating device at a hospital on the morning of his execution, rather than bringing a doctor or technician into the execution chamber.
Black's motion related to his heart device came within a general challenge he and other death row inmates filed against the state's new execution protocol, which took effect this year. The trial isn't until 2026.
Harold Nichols, 64, is also scheduled to die by lethal injection on Dec. 11. Nichols was convicted of rape and first-degree felony murder in the 1988 death of Karen Pulley in Hamilton County.
Alabama An Alabama judge has postponed the execution of David Lee Roberts, who had been scheduled to be put to death by nitrogen gas Aug. 21.
Roberts was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992 while he was a houseguest at Jones' boyfriend's home in Marion County. Prosecutors said Roberts packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head while she slept on the couch. Roberts set fire to the home to hide evidence.
A Marion County judge issued a stay so Roberts can have a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is too mentally ill to be put to death. The execution will be on hold at least until a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health is finished.
Geoffrey T. West, 49, is scheduled to die by nitrogen gas on Sept. 25 for the killing of convenience store clerk Margaret Parrish Berry during a 1997 robbery in Attalla.
If carried out, it would be the nation's sixth execution by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year as an alternative to lethal injection. The method involves supplying nitrogen gas via a respirator mask to an inmate, causing the person to lose consciousness and die from a lack of oxygen.
Utah Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, is scheduled to die by firing squad on Sept. 5. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977.
Menzies, who has dementia, has been on death row for 37 years for abducting and killing mother of three Maurine Hunsaker, 26, in 1986.
Judge Matthew Bates signed the death warrant a month after he ruled Menzies 'consistently and rationally" understands why he is facing execution despite recent cognitive decline. Attorneys for Menzies have petitioned the court for a reassessment.
Texas Blaine Milam, 35, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Sept. 25. Milam was convicted of killing his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter during what the couple had said was part of an 'exorcism" in Rusk County in East Texas in 2008.
Milam's girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, was also convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Robert Roberson is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16.
Roberson, 58, could become the first person in the U.S. to be put to death for a murder conviction tied to shaken baby syndrome. He was convicted of the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine.
Prosecutors argued he violently shook his daughter back and forth, causing severe head trauma. His lawyers and some medical experts say his daughter died not from abuse but from complications related to pneumonia.
Indiana Indiana set a tentative execution date of Oct. 10 for Roy Lee Ward, who was convicted of raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in 2001. But that date could change.
Missouri Lance C. Shockley is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 14, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
Shockley was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dewayne Graham outside his home in Carter County in 2005.
Testimony at the trial indicated Graham was killed because he was investigating Shockley for involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident.
Ohio Earlier this year, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine postponed five executions scheduled for 2025. All five have been delayed until 2028.
top videos
View all
In postponing the executions, DeWine has cited the state's inability to secure the drugs used in lethal injections due to pharmaceutical suppliers' unwillingness.
DeWine has said that he does not anticipate any further executions will happen during his term, which runs through 2026. (AP) AS AS
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments
First Published:
July 26, 2025, 04:15 IST
News agency-feeds A look at status of US executions in 2025
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump to shut down NASA missions that monitor carbon dioxide and plant heath
The Trump administration is moving to shut down two NASA missions that monitor a potent greenhouse gas and plant health, potentially shutting off an important source of data for scientists, policymakers and farmers. NASA said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the missions were "beyond their prime mission" and being terminated "to align with the President's agenda and budget priorities".(AP File Photo) President Donald Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2026 includes no money for the Orbiting Carbon Observatories, which can precisely show where carbon dioxide is being emitted and absorbed and how well crops are growing. NASA said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the missions were "beyond their prime mission" and being terminated "to align with the President's agenda and budget priorities". But the missions -- a free-flying satellite launched in 2014 and an instrument attached to the International Space Station in 2019 that include technology used in the Hubble Space Telescope -- still are more sensitive and accurate than any other systems in the world, operating or planned, and a "national asset" that should be saved, said David Crisp, a retired NASA scientist who led their development. They helped scientists discover, for example, that the Amazon rain forest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs, while boreal forests in Canada, Russia and places where permafrost is melting absorb more than they emit, Crisp said. They also can detect the "glow" of photosynthesis in plants, which helps monitor drought and predict food shortages that can lead to civil unrest and famine, he said. "This is really critical," Crisp said. "We are learning so much about this rapidly-changing planet." The decision to end the missions is "extremely shortsighted", said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. "The observations provided by these satellites ... (are) critical for managing growing climate change impacts around the planet, including in the US," he said. Looking to Congress Crisp and others hope Congress will vote to preserve funding for the missions, which are funded through the fiscal year that ends on September 30. A bill in the House closely aligns with the president's request and would eliminate the missions, while a Senate version preserves them. But with Congress in recess, it is unclear whether a budget will be adopted before the new fiscal year that begins on October 1. If it does not, Congress could adopt a resolution to continue current funding until a budget is passed, though some lawmakers fear the Trump administration could try to delay or withhold that money. Congressional Democrats warned acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy last month that it would be illegal to terminate missions or impound funds already appropriated by Congress. Experts said the administration's move to eliminate funding aligns with other actions to cut or bury climate science. "The principle seems to be that if we stop measuring climate change, it will just disappear from the American consciousness," said University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann. Backup plan Crisp and others also are trying to put together a coalition of outside partners -- including from Japan and Europe -- that could fund and operate the instrument attached to the space station. NASA said it will accept outside proposals through August 29. The free-flying satellite, though, is at risk of being brought down, meaning it would burn up in the atmosphere. National Public Radio first reported that NASA employees were making plans to end the missions. Crisp said advocates are hoping NASA also allows outside control of that satellite, which covers more of the globe, but there are legal hurdles to overcome because it would mean giving control of a US satellite to a group that could include foreign partners. "We are going out to billionaires. We are going out to foundations," Crisp said. 'But ... it is a really, really bad idea to try and push it off onto private industry or private individuals or private donors. It just does not make sense.'
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
11 minutes ago
- First Post
Who is Quornelius Radford, the US army sergeant who shot 5 at Fort Stewart?
Quornelius Radford, a US army sergeant, has been accused of shooting five fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia, one of the country's largest military bases, on Wednesday. The army is investigating the shooting. According to his father, Radford, who is Black, had spoken about facing racism at the base and had been trying to get a transfer read more Sgt Quornelius Radford was arrested on Wednesday after opening fire at Fort Stewart military base in Georgia. Image: Liberty County Sheriff's Office/AP A US Army sergeant has been accused of shooting five fellow soldiers at one of the country's largest Army bases on Wednesday. Sgt Quornelius Radford, 28, allegedly used his personal handgun to fire at colleagues before other soldiers nearby managed to stop him at the Fort Stewart military base in Georgia. Brigadier General John Lubas, the base commander, said the five injured soldiers were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ | Who is Michael Paul Brown, the suspect behind Montana bar shooting? 4 dead, manhunt on The incident has again raised questions about safety at US military bases, which are meant to be some of the most secure places in the country. Who is Sgt Quornelius Radford? What was the motive behind the shooting? Let's take a look: Who is Quornelius Radford? The 28-year-old Army sergeant was arrested on Wednesday after opening fire at Fort Stewart military base in Georgia, leaving five soldiers injured. According to Brigadier General John Lubas, Radford was an Automated Logistics Sergeant posted with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart. Army records shared with The Associated Press show Radford joined the service in January 2018. He worked as a supply sergeant and had never been deployed. Court documents show that Radford was due in court on August 20 in Hinesville, a town close to the base, over charges of driving under the influence and running a red light at around 1 am on May 18. Lubas said Radford's DUI arrest had not been known to his commanding officers until the shooting, after which checks were made in law enforcement records. Authorities have confirmed that Sgt Quornelius Radford opened fire at his workplace. AP Documents show he was given a blood test and later released on a bond of $1,818. Radford's father, Eddie Radford, 52, who lives in Jacksonville, told The New York Times that he had not seen anything unusual in his son's recent behaviour and did not know what may have led to the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said his son, who is Black, had spoken about facing racism at Fort Stewart and had been trying to get a transfer. General Lubas confirmed Radford had not served in any overseas combat. His father also said Radford did not have a history of serious mental health problems, though he sometimes struggled with depression linked to the death of his mother when he was a child. ALSO READ | Who was Shane Devon Tamura, gunman behind Manhattan rampage? What was the motive for the shooting? Authorities have confirmed that Sgt Quornelius Radford opened fire at his workplace, but they have not given any reason for the attack. The Army has launched an investigation into the shooting. However, CNN, quoting a law enforcement official familiar with the case, reported that Radford had a disagreement with one of the victims a day before the shooting. He reportedly followed that colleague to a maintenance area and shot him in the chest, before firing at four others. It is not clear what the disagreement was about. General Lubas said other soldiers quickly stepped in and stopped Radford, preventing further injuries, before police arrived and arrested him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Where is Fort Stewart? Fort Stewart is about 40 miles (64 kilometres) southwest of Savannah and is the largest Army base east of the Mississippi River in terms of land area. It is home to thousands of soldiers from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and their families. The incident has again raised questions about safety at US military bases. AP The shooting took place in an area of the base where the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Spartan Brigade, is based. The Spartan Brigade was first formed in 1917 in North Carolina and fought in World War I, according to an archived Army webpage. Though it was disbanded before World War II due to changes in the Army's structure, several of its units took part in important American operations during the war. It was reformed in 1963 and has since been deployed in places such as Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and across Africa for combat, humanitarian and rebuilding missions. In 2016, the Army chose the Spartan Brigade to become the 15th Armored Brigade Combat Team, a modern tank force, as part of its ongoing efforts to update its units. With inputs from agencies
Hans India
11 minutes ago
- Hans India
Stung by denial of berth, Rajgopal Reddy holds secret parleys with DKS
Hyderabad: Even as the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues remained in Delhi as part of 'Chalo Delhi' campaign, the meeting between Karnataka Dy CM D K Shivakumar and MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy has sparked significant political interest back in the State. The meeting comes amidst latter's expressions of discontent with the Congress leadership and the CM A Revanth Reddy for their failure to give him cabinet berth. In the wake of the development, Shivakumar is also likely to meet with CM Revanth Reddy soon. The Munugode MLA and younger brother of R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy met Shivakumar in a private hotel on Wednesday. This meeting is being viewed as significant in light of Rajagopal Reddy's discontent within the party and the potential for internal discussions or even damage control efforts within the Congress in Telangana. During the meeting, the MLA reportedly reminded Shivakumar about a past promise of a position in the State cabinet, which he reiterated was a key reason for his return to the Congress party. He urged the Karnataka's Deputy CM to convey this issue to the party high command, expressing frustration over being overlooked for a cabinet berth despite earlier assurances. In recent days, Rajagopal Reddy, known for his outspoken stance, has upped his ante and has repeatedly criticised Revanth Reddy. He expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that even leaders who joined the party after him were given ministerial posts, while he was ignored. He even went as far as hinting at resignation from his MLA position, accusing the Congress high command of neglect. As the issue has raised considerable concerns within the party, the PCC's Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) also decided to invite the MLA for deliberations and to resolve the matter. Responding to the comments by Rajgopal Reddy, the chairman of DAC Mallu Ravi said that it was not appropriate for MLA to speak openly about the internal affairs of the party and expressed optimism that the party high command will resolve such issues. He said that he will meet Rajgopal Reddy and try to resolve the issue positively. Earlier during the day, as part of continuing his rant, the MLA has asked the CM as to what action the State government initiated against AP-based contractors involved in Kaleshwaram. Launching a direct attack, the MLA accused CM of delaying action under the guise of investigations and commissions.
