Loran Cole (FDLE) The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously denied an appeal by Loran Cole, a Death Row inmate convicted of murdering a Florida St
The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously denied an appeal by Loran Cole, a Death Row inmate convicted of murdering a Florida State University student in 1994.
This decision paves the way for his scheduled execution next week, though last-minute federal court appeals are anticipated.
Read: Texas Man Faces Execution For 1998 Murder Of Elderly Woman
Cole’s attorneys had argued that abuse he suffered as a teenager at the notorious Dozier School for Boys contributed to his criminal behavior. They also cited a recent law offering compensation to Dozier victims as new evidence warranting a review of his death sentence.
However, the court rejected these arguments, stating that the law doesn’t constitute new evidence and Cole’s claims about Dozier were raised too late.
Read: Unsolved Execution-Style Murder Of Georgia Woman Ta’nia Baker Haunts Florida Community
The court also dismissed concerns about Cole’s Parkinson’s disease causing complications during lethal injection, stating that his claims were meritless and filed too late.
Cole’s execution is scheduled for next Thursday. Death penalty opponents argue that the trauma Cole experienced at Dozier should be reconsidered, while the court’s decision brings the state one step closer to carrying out the execution.
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