As Florida nears a grim milestone — the Aug. 19 execution of the fourth veteran and 10th person in the state this year — a group of veterans is calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop executing fellow veterans.
On Wednesday, the delegation of veterans will gather in Tallahassee at 11 a.m. Eastern time to present a letter to DeSantis signed by more than 130 veterans representing nearly every branch of the U.S. military and at least 1,400 collective years of service.
“We write to you to highlight a disturbing trend, and one that only you have the power to correct,” the letter reads. “We ask you to stop signing the death warrants and setting executions for veterans. During your term, five veterans have been executed — Bobby Joe Long, Duane Owen, Edward James, Jeffrey Hutchinson, and Edward Zakrzewski. And you have authorized another one — Kayle Bates is set to be executed on August 19. There are close to 30 veterans remaining on death row, and countless others facing death penalty trials throughout the state.
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