A CONVICTED killer has been executed for the 1994 murder of a college freshman, uttering, “No, sir,” when asked to give a final message from the death chamber.
Loran Cole, 57, was put to death by lethal injection just after 6 pm on Thursday at the Florida State Prison as crowds protested outside the facility.
Cole spent 30 years on death row after he was convicted for the murder of John Edwards, 18, and the rape of his older sister, Pam.
He was strapped to a gurney and injected with a deadly cocktail before he was declared dead at 6:15 pm.
When asked if he had any last words, Cole responded, “No, sir.”
After the injection, Cole’s body reportedly trembled for several minutes on the gurney, according to local outlet the Tallahassee Democrat.
The outlet reported that there were 19 witnesses, two guards, four prison staff members, and seven journalists who observed Cole’s death.
Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman told the outlet that Cole “remained compliant” during his final day.
The inmate woke up at 6 am and declined a meeting with a spiritual advisor before his execution.
He was joined by his son, Ryan, and his pen pal for his last meal of pizza, ice cream, M&Ms, and soda.
Veerman told the outlet that Cole was offered a sedative, but couldn’t confirm whether he took it.
Cole was convicted in 1995 of killing the Edwards in the Ocala National Forest in February 1994. John and Pam were on a camping trip when the night took a brutally tragic turn.
Cole and his friend, William Paul, spoke to the siblings around a campfire in the forest and offered to show them a nearby pond, according to court records.
The two men then robbed the victims and beat John before slitting his throat and leaving him to die in the woods.
They took Pam, who was 21 at the time and a student at Eckard College, back to the campsite, where Cole raped her.
The next morning, Cole raped Pam again before tying her to a tree and leaving her at the campsite. She managed to free herself and get help from a driver passing by the area.
Advocacy group Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty released a statement following the execution of convicted killer Loran Cole.
“Tonight, we the people of the State of Florida executed Loran Cole,” FADP’s statement said.
“Tonight we killed the man responsible for the death of John Edwards. And we also killed a father, a son, a brother, a friend.
“We grieve with all of Loran’s loved ones. We do not minimize the harm he caused, and we also grieve with his victims and their loved ones.
“While there is never a legal or moral justification for the death penalty in modern society, Loran’s execution feels particularly calculated, and particularly hypocritical.
“Less than a month before the Governor chose Loran for execution, he and the Legislature recognized the lifelong and devastating harm the State caused to children who were sentenced to the Dozier School for Boys.
“The legislation acknowledged their deep suffering and allowed survivors to apply for compensation.
“And yet, tonight we executed a Dozier survivor.
“Loran spent several months there as a teen. He was beaten, raped, and forced to clean up the remains of other tortured children.
“In Florida, the Governor has the sole discretion on when, whether, and for whom to set an execution. The process is shrouded in mystery and secrecy.
“We have no way of knowing how or why Loran was chosen, and no way of knowing who might be next.
“This week, we tried to take more than 7,000 signed petitions to the Governor, to let him know the people of the State of Florida and beyond did not want Loran’s execution to proceed in their name.
“We were told that due to construction, there is no way for the public to access the Governor’s office. Not even a makeshift reception area to allow Floridians’ voices to be heard. The clemency board was also short-staffed this week, with most of its personnel away at a conference.
“A selection process shrouded in secrecy. No way for the public to make its voice heard. Key officials unavailable the week we are killing a human being. This is no system of orderly justice.
“We the people of the State of Florida deserve and demand better,” the statement concluded.
Police found John’s body lying face down on the ground. He died from a slashed throat and multiple skull fractures from the beating.
At the trial in 1995, Pam tearfully revealed her brother’s last words to the jury during her testimony.
“He said ‘I’m sorry’…because I hadn’t even wanted to go on the hike,” she said.
Cole and his friend were both convicted of first-degree murder. Cole was sentenced to death and two life sentences for the murder and rape.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Cole’s death warrant on July 29.
The inmate’s lawyers fought for a stay of execution for Cole because he had Parkinson’s disease and suffered from brain damage and mental illness.
They also tried to prevent his execution because he allegedly suffered abuse at a state-run reform school throughout his adolescence.
The US Supreme Court denied Cole’s request to postpone the execution on Thursday morning.
Crowds outside of the prison were pictured protesting Cole’s execution.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty released a statement criticizing the execution in connection to the alleged abuse that Cole suffered at the reform school.
“While there is never a legal or moral justification for the death penalty in modern society, Loran’s execution feels particularly calculated, and particularly hypocritical,” FADP’s statement said.
“Less than a month before the Governor chose Loran for execution, he and the Legislature recognized the lifelong and devastating harm the State caused to children who were sentenced to the Dozier School for Boys.
“The legislation acknowledged their deep suffering and allowed survivors to apply for compensation.
“And yet, tonight we executed a Dozier survivor,” the message said in part.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the Florida Department of Corrections for comment.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
