Florida to execute prisoner who killed cellmate for death sentence

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 05:32 · Archive

James Robertson, 63, is set to be executed for the 2008 strangling death of his cellmate Frank Hart.

James Robertson, 63, is set to be executed on Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke by lethal injection. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and waived all appeals in the 2008 strangling death of his cellmate Frank Hart.

According to court records, Robertson was incarcerated at Charlotte Correctional Institution, north of Fort Myers, in December 2008 when he tied several socks together and strangled Hart while the man slept. Robertson told investigators the attack was unprovoked and that he killed his cellmate so he would be sentenced to death rather than spend his life in prison. Robertson was 17 years old when he first went to prison in 1980 for burglary and assault.

Robertson's execution was originally one of two scheduled for Tuesday, but Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant last week for William Lee Thompson pending a psychiatric evaluation. This is the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant, though the action does not technically change Thompson's sentence and a new warrant could be signed in future.

How it is being reported

• Florida to execute a prisoner who killed his cellmate in hopes of getting a death sentenceA Florida prisoner who claimed he killed his cellmate so he could be moved to death row is set to be executed, nearly 18 years after the fatal attack.Clickorlando · 13 Oct, 05:01
• Florida to execute a prisoner who killed his cellmate in hopes of getting a death sentenceA Florida prisoner who claimed he killed his cellmate so he could be moved to death row is set to be executed, nearly 18 years after the fatal attack.News4Jax · 13 Oct, 05:01

In this story: James Robertson · Frank Hart · Ron DeSantis · William Lee Thompson · Florida · Charlotte Correctional Institution · Florida State Prison

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem