Florida to execute a prisoner who killed his cellmate in hopes of getting a death sentence

MIAMI — A Florida prisoner who claimed he killed his cellmate so he could be moved to death row is set to be executed Tuesday, nearly 18 years after the fatal attack.

James Robertson, 63, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and waived all appeals in the 2008 strangling of Frank Hart. Robertson is set to receive a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke starting at noon.

Robertson was supposed to be one of two executions carried out by Florida on Tuesday, but Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant last week for William Lee Thompson. The Republican governor did not provide a reason for withdrawing Thompson’s death warrant but had temporarily stayed his execution last month pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Records show that this is the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant, which does not technically change Thompson’s sentence. He will remain on death row, and a new death warrant could be signed for him in the future.

Robertson’s execution comes at a time of escalating attention on the death penalty in the U.S. In Tennessee, Christa Pike survived an execution attempt two weeks ago despite receiving two lethal doses of pentobarbital. And last week, the…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business