Execution date set for Florida man convicted of kidnapping woman, killing her
Kayle Bates, 67, is set to be put to death on Aug. 19 in the 10th execution scheduled for this year in Florida.
Bates was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in connection with the June 14, 1982, death of 24-year-old Janet White in Bay County.
He was accused of abducting White from the State Farm insurance office where she worked before taking her into the woods behind the building, at which point he attempted to rape her, stabbed her to death, and tore a diamond ring from one of her fingers, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's summary of the case.
According to court records, Bates was a delivery man for a Tallahassee paper company and had made at least one earlier delivery stop at the insurance office.
He had broken into the insurance office while White was on her lunch break and waited for her to return.
Last year, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an appeal regarding a juror from his initial trial. The U.S. Supreme Court also denied a petition on June 30.
Bates' attorney, James Driscoll Jr., said he would be filing further appeals in the case.
"We believe his execution would violate the U.S. constitution," he told The Associated Press.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Bates' death warrant on Friday, just three days after the state executed Michael Bell for shooting and killing two people outside a bar in 1993 as part of an attempted revenge killing.
Bell was the eighth person executed in Florida this year, and a ninth is scheduled for later this month. The state put six people to death in 2023, but only one execution happened last year.
Bell was the 26th person to be executed in the U.S. so far this year in the U.S., exceeding the 25 executions carried out last year. This is the highest number of executions since 2015, when 28 people across the country were put to death.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Girl, 9, Who Died at Hersheypark Remembered as Being 'Full of Promise' and ‘a Light in the Lives of All Who Knew Her'
"Her sudden and tragic departure has left a deep void in our hearts and in the community," one mourner said The 9-year-old child who died at Hersheypark's water park is being remembered by her local community. Tilak Niroula, a chairman of the Board for the Bhutanese Community in nearby Harrisburg, Pa., remembered the child — whose name has not yet been shared publicly — describing her as a 'beloved' member of their local Bhutanese community.'At just nine years old, she was full of promise, innocence, and joy — a light in the lives of all who knew her,' Niroula said in a statement to WGAL-TV. 'Her sudden and tragic departure has left a deep void in our hearts and in the community she was so warmly a part of.' 'Our entire community is grieving alongside the family during this unimaginably difficult time,' he continued. 'Words cannot fully capture the depth of our pain, but we are united in our mourning and committed to standing with the family in love, prayer and support.' The preteen was visiting The Boardwalk at Hersheypark on Thursday, July 24, when she became "in distress" in the water, according to a statement from John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. 'From the moment our lifeguard team recognized that a child was in distress, they performed an immediate rescue, followed by continuous, coordinated life-saving efforts by our lifeguards, on-site first responders and medical personnel," Lawn said. In an updated statement obtained by WGAL-TV, the water park said the incident 'occurred at the wave pool within The Boardwalk." The area 'remain closed' after the incident 'out of respect for the family and deep appreciation of our team members who worked so valiantly in their efforts to save the life of the guest.' A representative told PEOPLE after the tragedy that Hersheypark "places the highest priority on water safety at The Boardwalk," and there were over 100 trained lifeguards at the park at the time of the incident, including "10 lifeguards specifically dedicated to the wave pool.' "The specific lifeguards stationed at the wave pool received the highest level of training and certification, which includes deep-water lifeguarding, Basic Life Support, AED use, supplemental oxygen support, CPR and First Aid," the spokesperson continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories CEO Lawn promised that the company would "conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities" in the "coming days." He said they would also "thoroughly investigate this tragedy and honor the memory of this young guest by continuing our focus on ensuring the safety of our guests at Hersheypark." The Derry Township Police Department is assisting the park in the investigation. "Our thoughts and our hearts are with the family and friends of this young life, lost too soon," police said. The Dauphin County Coroner's Office, meanwhile, said in a statement that it remains in "the early stages of this process, and we are working to gather all of the facts." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Florida man arrested after beating up fellow golfer for playing too slow: cops
A golfer in Florida is accused of attacking a fellow player for playing too slow and now faces charges over the alleged assault. Jason Hughes was arrested Thursday and charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm, according to Fox 35. The incident happened in June at a golf course in Kissimmee, Florida, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. Hughes later told deputies that he was upset with the pace of the victim's play. The man said he and Hughes exchanged words on the course. The victim was playing with a friend in front of Hughes, who told them more than once to hurry up, according to the report. Many slower golfers will let those playing faster move ahead of them at a hole. Hughes got angry when he saw the victim talking to his friend on the green of a hole, according to the report. That is when Hughes allegedly attacked and started to punch the victim in the face. Witnesses broke up the fight and Hughes and his partner fled the scene before authorities arrived, according to the report. The victim was bleeding and bruised when police arrived. He later went to the hospital with a friend. Authorities tracked down Hughes through the credit card he used to pay for his tee time, according to Fox 35. Hughes was in court Friday and given a $2,500 bond. As part of his bail conditions, he is not allowed to play golf on a public course.
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Hegseth team told to stop polygraph tests after complaint to White House
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of polygraph tests to hunt for people leaking information to the news media was stopped at the direction of the White House after a senior adviser to Hegseth raised alarm to senior officials there about being targeted, U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter said.
