Florida executes James Ernest Hitchcock for 1976 murder of teenage stepniece

Florida authorities executed James Ernest Hitchcock on April 30 at the Florida State Prison in Bradford County.

The 70-year-old was convicted of the 1976 murder of his brother’s 13-year-old stepdaughter, Cynthia Driggers.

According to the Florida Appellate Case Information System, Hitchcock died from a lethal injection at approximately 6:12 p.m. local time.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant on March 30, marking the state's sixth execution of 2026.

The crime occurred while a 20-year-old Hitchcock was living with his brother in Orlando. Court records indicate that after consuming alcohol and marijuana, Hitchcock raped the young girl in her bedroom.

When she threatened to inform her mother, he choked her before taking her outside, where he continued the assault. He ultimately left her in the bushes before returning to the house to shower and sleep.

Despite later attempts to shift blame onto his brother, Hitchcock was convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to death in 1977.

Hitchcock spent nearly five decades on death row, filing numerous appeals and undergoing resentencing in 1988, 1993, and 1996.

A final appeal to halt the execution was denied by the Florida Supreme Court just one week before the scheduled date. Before the procedure, Hitchcock shared a final meal of chicken, salad, ice cream, and pie.

His last words were a brief message of gratitude to a friend. Following the execution, the victim’s sister, Lynn Cobb, addressed the media, stating that the family would continue to honour Cindy’s memory and the precious nature of life.