Death row inmate James Robertson's last meal before lethal injection revealed
An inmate who was desperate to ensure that he would face the death penalty fatally strangled his cellmate as he slept.
Almost two decades ago, James Robertson took the life of fellow prisoner Frank Hart at the Charlotte Correctional Institution in Florida - and on Tuesday (13 October), he faced the ultimate punishment.
The 63-year-old was given via lethal injection, in what was the state's first execution since the disastrous attempt to end Christa Pike's life in Tennessee.
Robertson was pronounced dead at 12:32pm on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, around ten minutes after the lethal cocktail of drugs was administered.
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In Florida, a trio of deadly chemicals are combined. A sedative is merged with a drug which paralyses the death row inmate, as well as potassium acetate, which stops the heart.
Robertson is said to have flashed a 'toothless smile' at those in the execution chamber in his final moments at the Florida State Prison.
When asked if he had any words to share, local news outlet The Daily Sun, reported that he declined. Robertson had dined on steak, fried eggs, potatoes, toast and milk for his last meal.
The daughter of his victim, Rebecca Hart, paid tribute to her late father who was murdered just 8 days before he was set to be released back in 2008.
She told reporters: "To most people, he may be a name in a court record, a victim in a criminal case, or a part of a story they've watched on television. But to me, he was my dad."
Vowing to 'honour' Hart, Rebecca added: "His life mattered before his murder, and it still matters now. I wish you could know that even now, I'm still speaking your name.
"I cannot undo what happened to you, but I can refuse to let your name disappear in a court file or just become another story people forget."
Why Robertson was sentenced to death
Hart was sleeping when he was strangled to death by Robertson on 10 December, 2008, with socks that had been tied together.
The killer confessed that he had committed the murder in a bid to be sentenced to death, as he would rather that than being behind bars.
Robertson was first jailed back in 1980 when he was 17-years-old after he was convicted of crimes including assault and burglary.
Time was repeatedly tacked onto his sentence due to his behaviour while incarcerated. Robertson's release date was delayed due to offences such as battery, attempted escapes and possessing weapons.
His cellmate, Hart, had been jailed in 2003 and was due to gain his freedom on 18 December, 2008, before his life was taken.
Robertson, who pled guilty to first-degree murder, was reportedly desperate to face his fate - as The New York Times stated that he told a court hearing on 1 October that he 'just wanted the sentence to be carried out'.
He decided to ditch any attempts at appeal and did not pursue any avenues to challenge his conviction.
Robertson was sentenced him to death by 20th Judicial Circuit Judge Christine Greider in 2012. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis then signed his death warrant earlier this month.
Maria DeLiberato, legal and policy director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said of the unique case: "Frank Hart deserved to be safe in state custody, and his loved ones deserve our compassion.
"When someone commits murder to try to secure his own execution, we have to confront the conditions that contributed to that decision and the reality that the existence of the death penalty may have caused the very violence it purportedly prevents."
Robertson - who is the 17th person to be executed in Florida this year - made a 'devastating choice' to 'escape the current hell he was living in', according to the organisation Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
A statement shared in wake of his execution suggested that he 'truly believed his life would be better on death row and actively sought out his own execution' after spending years in 'restrictive' custody.
'The very existence of the death penalty led to Frank Hart’s murder', campaigners say
It explained: "An unstable childhood marked by loss, trauma, and multigenerational substance use landed James in trouble with the law before he was a teenager. He was sentenced to 10 years for assault and burglary shortly after his 17th birthday. He did not receive any rehabilitation in prison, and did not adjust well to prison life."
It claimed that he was 'stripped of his property, his visiting rights, and human connection' and alleged that Robertson was 'confined to a cell for 23 hours a day'.
"His case requires an honest conversation about how the death penalty does not deliver what it purports to," the statement said. "Supporters of capital punishment often claim it is a deterrent for future violence. In this case, not only was the death penalty not a deterrent, it was an inspiration. James repeatedly maintained that he committed this murder so that he could be sent to death row.
"We cannot ignore this inescapable truth: the very existence of the death penalty led to Frank Hart’s murder."
Olivia Burke