Tallahassee, Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant on Monday for an inmate convicted of the 1994 murder of a Florida State University student in the Ocala National Forest. Loran Cole, 57, is scheduled to be executed on August 29th at Florida State Prison, marking the first execution in the state since October.
Cole was sentenced to death for the murder of John Edwards, who was camping in the Ocala National Forest with his sister, court records revealed. Cole, along with another man, William Paul, joined the siblings at their campsite. Tragically, the night ended with Edwards being killed, while his sister was sexually assaulted and left tied to trees the next morning.
Following the arrest of Cole and Paul in Ocala, Cole was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, and sexual battery. Paul, on the other hand, pleaded no contest to various charges and received a life sentence. The forthcoming execution has initiated a legal process that is expected to move swiftly, with the Florida Supreme Court ordering expedited proceedings.
Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Florida has executed 105 inmates, including six individuals in the previous year. Alongside Cole, Michael Duane Zack was also executed in 2021 for a murder committed in 1996. The state’s recent executions have included cases dating back to the 1980s and providing closure for the families of the victims.
The upcoming execution of Loran Cole serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of violent crimes committed years prior. As the legal process unfolds in the weeks leading to August 29th, the spotlight is once again on the state’s criminal justice system and the ultimate punishment for the most heinous of offenses.