Florida: Andrew Lukehart Executed—Even Though the Jury’s Verdict Was Not Unanimous

On Tuesday evening, 53-year-old Andrew Richard Lukehart was executed by lethal injection in the U.S. state of Florida. He had been sentenced to death for killing his girlfriend’s five-month-old daughter in February 1996.

He was supposed to be watching the child, had to change her diapers, and lost his patience and control in the process. While he initially claimed the baby had been kidnapped, he confessed shortly thereafter and led the police to the child’s body. Lukehart already had a prior conviction for a similar offense.

In his final words, he said, “I’m sorry,” and quoted a Bible verse in which Jesus said on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The organization “Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty” (FADP) states in its release:

“Andrew Lukehart’s own life was marked by years of violence, abuse, neglect, and disregard for his humanity. What Andrew did at the age of 22 was a tragedy. But it was also the act of a deeply damaged young man who grew up amid severe physical and sexual abuse, violence, instability, intellectual limitations, and untreated trauma.

Long before the child’s death, Andrew struggled with depression, hopelessness, and a deep sense of worthlessness rooted precisely in the people who were supposed to love and protect him. His acts, committed out of frustration, were those of a person who was unable to cope with an infant and who could not handle the enormous responsibility that comes with caring for a child.

Overwhelmed by guilt, despair, and horror at what he had done, he attempted to take his own life by driving his vehicle into a tree.” None of this, according to FADP, could excuse or downplay what Lukehart did, but it could serve as an explanation.

Accordingly, the death sentence in his trial was not unanimous—three of the jurors voted against the death penalty for the defendant and in favor of life imprisonment. In the vast majority of U.S. states, a death sentence requires a unanimous vote.

Sources:
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/06/02/andrew-lukehart-execution-gabrielle-hanshaw/90377807007/
https://www.fadp.org/statement-on-the-execution-of-andrew-lukehart/