Execution window set for Pasco County killer who murdered ex-girlfriend’s parents 4 decades ago
An undated mugshot shows Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, wearing an orange prison uniform. Image is courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - An 80-year-old man faces execution next month after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for a double murder committed four decades ago.
The execution window is scheduled to run from noon on July 28 through noon on Aug. 4.
Florida execution details signed
What we know:
Dominick Anthony Occhicone is scheduled to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. DeSantis signed the warrant on Friday, marking the 12th death warrant the governor has signed this year.
The warrant comes shortly after the state executed 74-year-old Dusty Ray Spencer last week. If the scheduled July 14 execution of 74-year-old Dennis Sochor proceeds, he will surpass Spencer as the oldest inmate executed in Florida since 1976.
Pasco County double murder
The backstory:
Court records show that Occhicone went to the Pasco County home of Raymond and Martha Artzner on June 10, 1986. His former girlfriend was living at the home with her child at the time.
Occhicone cut the phone lines, shot Raymond Artzner outside, and then broke into the home. His former girlfriend ran away with her child, but Occhicone shot Martha Artzner four times, resulting in a death sentence.
Death penalty debate
The other side:
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty quickly petitioned for a stay of execution. The group stated that five jurors voted to spare his life and that he acted under extreme emotional disturbance.
The Florida Supreme Court previously rejected age-based defense arguments in a similar case on June 18. Justices noted that the U.S. Supreme Court only recognizes execution exemptions for individuals under 18 at the time of the offense.
Legal status updates
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed whether any final stays or appeals will delay the scheduled July executions. It remains unclear how the state supreme court will handle any last-minute defense motions regarding Occhicone's health status.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by the News Service of Florida from Florida court records detailing the 1986 crime, as well as from statements by the governor's office and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.