TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Johnny Shane Kormondy was set to be executed at 6 p.m. Thursday. His execution is Gov. Rick Scott's 21st, tying a record for the number of executions under one governor in modern times.
Scott accomplished the feat in just over four years, while it took Jeb Bush twice as long.
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Gary McAdams was shot point blank in the back of the head in July 1993 during a home invasion while his wife was being raped. Cecilia McAdams is being identified only because she speaks publicly about the ordeal.
Earlier this year Cecilia McAdams met with Scott. In a Facebook post afterwards, she wrote, "Hopefully one day in the not too distant future we can all get together to celebrate justice being served."
Scott would not comment specifically on the meeting or Kormondy's death warrant.
"I review all the cases; they've all gone through their appeals and the clemency process," said Scott.
While no one questions Kormondy's guilt, some question whether justice is being served. Kormondy was sentenced to death on an 8-4 jury recommendation, while two co-defendants got life.
In 2005, Florida's Supreme Court recommended lawmakers require unanimous jury recommendations in death cases, but Florida is the only state which allows a simple majority.
"What a unanimous jury requirement would do is to basically facilitate more robust deliberations," said Mark Schlakman, of the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights.
Prosecutors fear there would be fewer death sentences if a unanimous verdict were required. The Florida Catholic Conference said that fear is misplaced.
"The truth is that Texas executes more and sentences more than the state of Florida, and they require unanimity," said Ingrid Delgado, of the Florida Catholic Conference.
Kormondy's execution ties a record of 21 for a single governor in modern times.
Some legislators fear making the change to a unanimous verdict would open avenues for legal challenges for those already sentenced to death.