TALLAHASSEE,Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of kidnapping adult siblings camping in a national forest in 1994 before raping the sister and murdering the brother has been scheduled to be executed next month.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant for Loran Cole on Monday. Cole, 57, is set to be executed by lethal injection on Aug. 28 at Florida State Prison.
Cole and a friend, William Paul, befriended the two college students as they camped in the Ocala National Forest. After talking around a fire, the men offered to take the siblings to see a pond. While away from the campsite, Cole and Paul jumped the victims and robbed them, according to court records.
The brother, who was 18, was beaten and left in the forest. His sister, who was 21, was taken back to the campsite, where Cole tied her up and raped her. She eventually managed to free herself and flag down a driver for help. Police found her brother’s body lying face down on the ground with head trauma and a slit throat, according to court records.
Paul and Cole were convicted of first-degree murder. Paul was sent to prison for life. Cole, who was also convicted of two counts of rape, was sentenced to death.
The execution would be the first in Florida since Michael Zack was put to death last October for the 1996 murder of Ravonne Smith.
2025-05-06 23:37633 view
2025-05-06 23:332476 view
2025-05-06 22:311650 view
2025-05-06 22:22366 view
2025-05-06 21:561302 view
2025-05-06 21:292941 view
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased for the third week in a row, a welcome tren
Elevated mortgage rates and sales prices mean owning a home is about 20% more expensive than it was
Washington — Ohio voters on Tuesday definitively rejected a closely watched proposal known as Issue