James Ernest Hitchcock
James Ernest Hitchcock, who was 70 by one account and 69 by another, was executed by the State of Florida at Florida State Prison in Raiford on April 30, 2026, a Thursday. Before his execution he said goodbye to a friend named Joshua and thanked him, and he received a visit from a family member, believed to be a cousin. His attorneys argued that he was innocent and sought public records about the death penalty from the state, but the courts rejected those arguments. The group Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty said it grieved his execution.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. His attorneys argued he was innocent and that the state refused him access to public records about the death penalty; courts rejected these arguments.
Reported by: Florida Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); Florida State Prison (the agency that held him); his attorneys.