Florida Supreme Court Keeps Ex‑Officer’s Execution Stayed Amid Inconclusive DNA Test
The Florida Supreme Court has refused a request from Attorney General James Uthmeier to lift a stay of execution for former Mascotte police officer James Duckett, who was convicted of raping and murdering 11‑year‑old Teresa McAbee in 1987 and was scheduled to be executed Tuesday. DNA testing on biological material from the victim’s underwear, which the defense argued could exonerate Duckett, came back inconclusive on Friday, prompting the state to urge the court to let the execution proceed on the grounds the results did not clear him. Six of seven justices instead voted to keep the execution on hold, directing the trial court to review “successive claims” related to the new DNA evidence and to provide status updates on any outstanding issues by Thursday, April 2. Duckett’s case, which has relied heavily on now‑discredited hair microscopy along with fingerprints and tire‑track evidence, has drawn scrutiny because he is a former law enforcement officer and has consistently claimed innocence, putting a spotlight on whether 1980s‑era forensic methods are sufficient to sustain a death sentence when modern DNA testing fails to give a definitive answer.
📌 Key Facts
- The Florida Supreme Court on Monday denied the state attorney general’s motion to lift the stay of execution for former officer James Duckett.
- Duckett was sentenced to death for the 1987 rape and murder of 11‑year‑old Teresa McAbee in Mascotte, Florida, and his execution had been set for Tuesday.
- Recent DNA testing of biological material from the victim’s underwear returned inconclusive results, neither exonerating Duckett nor confirming his guilt.
- Six of seven justices voted to keep the execution on hold and ordered the lower court to examine successive claims tied to the DNA evidence and report back by April 2.
- Key trial evidence included now‑discredited hair microscopy, fingerprints on Duckett’s patrol car, and tire tracks at the lake matching Mascotte police 'mud and snow' tires.
📊 Relevant Data
In a review of FBI testimony on microscopic hair analysis, examiners gave erroneous statements in over 90 percent of the trial transcripts examined, leading to at least 35 wrongful convictions that were later overturned.
How the Junk Science of Hair Analysis Keeps People Behind Bars — Mother Jones
Innocent Black Americans are about 7.5 times more likely than innocent White Americans to be wrongly convicted of murder, with Black people comprising 13.6% of the U.S. population but 53% of murder exonerees.
Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022 — National Registry of Exonerations
Of the 3,399 known exonerations in the U.S. as of 2024, official misconduct was a factor in 59% of cases, with higher rates in murder cases (79%) and among Black exonerees (65%).
National Registry of Exonerations' Annual Report Finds Majority of Exonerees are People of Color and Official Misconduct is the Main Cause of Wrongful Convictions — Death Penalty Information Center
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