Convicted child killer and rapist Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on November 13 at Florida State Prison, following a death warrant signed Friday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jennings’ execution would mark the 16th person set for death in Florida in 2025.
This solidifies a record pace under DeSantis since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Record Pace of Executions
Governor DeSantis is overseeing more executions in a single year than any other Florida governor since 1976. The previous record for executions in one year in Florida was eight, most recently set in 2014.
Jennings’ scheduled execution comes amidst a flurry of recent death warrants. Another convicted killer, Norman Mearle Grim Jr., is set to die on October 28, and Samuel Lee Smithers is scheduled for execution this Tuesday. The most recent execution was on September 30, when Victory Tony Jones was put to death by lethal injection.
Florida is currently leading the nation in executions for 2025, which has seen 35 people executed across the U.S. so far this year.
READ: Curtis Windom Executed In Florida, Marking A Record-Setting Year For State
Details of the 1979 Crime
Jennings was convicted of the brutal 1979 murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery of 6-year-old Rebecca Kunash in Brevard County.
According to court records, in May 1979, Jennings climbed through the window of the girl’s home, abducted her, and drove her to a remote area near a Merritt Island canal. Investigators determined Jennings sexually assaulted Kunash before fatally smashing her head on the ground and then drowning her in the nearby canal.
Police discovered the girl’s body a short time later. Jennings was eventually linked to the murder after being arrested on a separate traffic warrant.
Jennings was first sentenced to death in 1986, after two previous convictions were overturned.
Anticipated Appeals
Attorneys for Jennings are expected to file last-minute appeals to both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to stay the execution.
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