In brief
Richard Barry Randolph, sentenced to death for the 1988 murder of Minnie Ruth McCollum in Florida, is set to receive a lethal injection. This execution marks Florida's record-breaking 17th this year, with further executions planned. Randolph's appeals have been denied, confirming the state’s position toward capital punishment.
STARKE, Fla. — Richard Barry Randolph, 63, who was convicted in 1989 of raping and fatally beating former Handy-Way convenience store manager Minnie Ruth McCollum, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on Thursday evening at Florida State Prison. This execution will be the 17th carried out in Florida in 2025, extending a record for the number of executions in a single year in the state.Randolph was convicted of several charges including murder, armed robbery, and sexual battery. His gruesome crime occurred in August 1988 when he attempted to break into the safe at the store where he had previously worked. When McCollum confronted him, a violent struggle ensued, resulting in her being beaten, strangled, stabbed, and raped before he fled in her car.He was arrested shortly after the attack when he was found at a Jacksonville grocery store trying to cash stolen lottery tickets. Investigators noted that Randolph had confessed to the crime and implicated himself further when he led them to the location of his bloody clothing.Following a notable string of executions in Florida, the state, which has executed more individuals than any other in the U.S. this year, has additional death warrants already signed by Governor Ron DeSantis for next month. Despite Randolph's appeals to the Florida Supreme Court regarding the handling of his case and his legal representation, his execution is set to proceed as planned, reflecting the state’s uncompromising stance towards capital punishment.In total, 43 individuals have faced execution across the United States this year, with further executions scheduled as the year progresses. Florida’s method of execution involves administering a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that ceases cardiac function, as specified by the state’s Department of Corrections.
