Florida man executed for fatal stabbing of woman and her 4-year-old daughter
Updated on: May 21, 2026 / 7:06 PM EDT / CBS/AP
TL;DR
- Richard Knight was executed by lethal injection on May 21, 2026, for the 2002 murders of Odessia Stephens and her daughter, Hanessia Mullings.
- Knight was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and confessed the killings to another inmate.
- This was Florida's seventh execution in 2026, with Governor Ron DeSantis overseeing a record 19 executions in 2025.
- Knight's appeals, including claims of newly discovered evidence and issues with execution protocols, were denied by the Florida Supreme Court.
- A final appeal was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Another execution in Florida is scheduled for June 2 for Andrew Richard Lukehart.
- An execution in Tennessee for Tony Carruthers was called off due to difficulties establishing an IV line.