Florida executed a man who strangled his sleeping cellmate because, he told investigators, he wanted a death sentence instead of a life spent behind bars.
Story Highlights
- James Robertson, 63, died by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke.
- He strangled his cellmate, Frank Hart, in 2008, eight days before Hart was due to go free.
- Robertson told investigators he killed Hart so he would not have to live out his days in prison.
- He pleaded guilty, gave up all his appeals and declined to give last words.
A Killing Meant to Reach Death Row
Robertson was put to death on Tuesday, October 13, about 10 minutes after the drugs were given, making him the 17th person Florida has executed in 2026. The state uses three drugs: a sedative to put the prisoner under, a drug that stops movement, and a drug that stops the heart. Florida has carried out more than half of the 31 executions in the United States so far this year, according to reports.
The reason behind the crime was Robertson’s own. Investigators said he told them he killed Hart because he wanted to be charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He had been in prison since 1980, when he was convicted at 17 of burglary and assault. Later convictions for escape, battery and weapons charges inside prison kept adding years to his time.
What Happened in the Cell
The killing took place on Dec. 10, 2008, at Charlotte Correctional Institution, a state prison in southwest Florida. Prosecutors said Robertson tied several socks together and used them to choke Hart while he slept. Hart was eight days away from being released.
Robertson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He had been on death row since 2012 and waived his appeals after he was sentenced. Because he gave up those appeals, there was no last-minute Supreme Court fight over his execution.
The Final Steps
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Robertson’s death warrant, the order that sets the date of an execution, on Thursday, October 1. When Robertson was asked if he had any last words, he declined, answering, “Nah, I’m straight.”
A Daughter Speaks for Her Father
Hart’s daughter, Rebecca Hart, read a statement at the prison. She said “the world keeps moving, even when a part of yours feels like it has stopped.” She also made clear that her father was a person in his own right, not a footnote in the story of the man who killed him.
Her words were a reminder that a man died eight days short of his freedom. The execution came nearly 18 years after the attack.
Sources:
wlrn.org, apnews.com, heraldtribune.com
