Loran Cole, a 57-year-old Florida inmate, is seeking the intervention of the US Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled for Thursday. Cole was convicted for the 1994 kidnapping of adult siblings who were camping in the Ocala National Forest; he raped the sister and murdered the brother. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Cole's death warrant in July, setting his execution at 6pm at the Florida State Prison.
On Monday, Cole appealed, citing that the state's lethal injection procedures could cause him severe pain due to his Parkinson's disease, claiming it could "very likely cause him needless pain and suffering." His legal team argues that his involuntary body movements would complicate the administration of lethal injection, making it impossible to carry out humanely. This appeal follows numerous reports of botched executions nationwide, intensifying scrutiny on the secrecy of death penalty protocols.
Cole's attorneys emphasize that a denial of his hearing would contrast with similar cases where inmates received considerations for their medical conditions. Additionally, they argue that denying him due process would violate his 14th Amendment rights. The Florida Supreme Court previously rejected an appeal on August 23 from Cole, who has also highlighted his past abuse at a state-run reform school as part of his objection to the execution. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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