RAIFORD, Fla. — Duane Owen, who was on death row for 37 years for the murders of 14-year-old Karen Slattery, 14, in Delray Beach, and single mother Georgianna Worden, 38, in Boca Raton, was put to death by lethal injection Thursday evening.
Owen was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m.
When he was asked if he wanted to give a final statement, he replied, "no."
The procedure began at 6:01 p.m., with Owen's arms twitching and his breathing becoming heavier as the sedative took effect. The warden made sure Owen was unconscious before lethal drugs were administered.
Several family members of the victims witnessed the execution.
The 62-year-old murderer woke up at 7 a.m. and had his last meal at 9:45 a.m., Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kayla McLaughlin Smith said.
In Florida, there are currently 292 men on death row and three women on death row.
Men on death row are housed at Union Correctional Institution, but Owen was transferred a mile away to Florida State Prison for the execution.
About 30 minutes before the execution, phone communication was established with the office of the governor in the event there were any last-minute delays.
The execution was carried out by a private citizen who is paid $150 per execution. The executioner's identity can be anonymous, according to state law. The job is to inject the chemicals into the IV attached to the inmate.
The lethal injection is made up of three drugs: Etomidate (an anesthetic to sedative), Rocuronium Bromide (muscle relaxer to stop breathing) and Potassium Acetate (stops the heart). There are two Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who serve as monitors. They are responsible for observing the execution and the condition of the inmate during the execution process. The first agent observes the preparation of the chemicals used and the second agent is in the execution chamber and must keep a detailed log of everything that happens in the chamber at a two-minute interval.
There was an official witness room. Inside the room were 12 official witnesses, including family members of the victim, one nurse or medical technician, 12 members of the media, one representative from the Florida Department of Corrections public affairs office, one designated escort, and one team member.
Once the inmate was pronounced dead by a physician, a member of the execution team recorded the time of death and the team warden will notify the governor's office that the execution has been carried out.
This was Florida's fourth execution this year after a hiatus in which there were none since 2019.
