Florida Man Executed for 1997 Murder of Couple in Front of Child

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James Dennis Ford, a 64-year-old man from Florida, was executed on February 15, 2025, for the brutal murder of Gregory and Kimberly Malnory in 1997, a crime witnessed by their young daughter. Ford was pronounced dead at 6:19 PM after receiving a lethal injection at the Florida State Prison, marking the first execution in the state this year and the fourth in the United States overall.

According to reports from The Independent, Ford shot Gregory in the head with a .22-caliber rifle, subsequently bludgeoning him and slitting his throat. He then raped, beat, and shot Kimberly. The couple's 23-month-old daughter, Maranda Malnory, was found the next day, severely dehydrated and covered in insect bites. Now an adult, Maranda stated, “I grieve what could have been” in reference to her parents.

Ford's legal team argued he had a mental age of 14 and claimed that health issues contributed to his actions, but both the US Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court rejected appeals for clemency. On execution day, Ford had a final meal before being strapped to a gurney, refusing to speak to witnesses.

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