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Recap: After 30 years on death row, Loran Cole executed for FSU student’s murder

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Recap: After 30 years on death row, Loran Cole executed for FSU student’s murder


The 57-year-old man sentenced to death in the murder of a Florida State University student in 1994 is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. – more than 30 years after the crime.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for Loran K. Cole on July 29. Cole will be put to death by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, Union County.

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The Tallahassee Democrat’s Elena Barrera, the newspaper’s breaking and trending news reporter, is covering the execution today.

Check back here throughout the afternoon and evening for updates:

After Cole’s execution, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty released a statement calling his death by lethal injection “particularly calculated, and particularly hypocritical.”

“In Florida, the governor has the sole discretion on when, whether, and for whom to set an execution,” it said. “The process is shrouded in mystery and secrecy. We have no way of knowing how or why Loran was chosen, and no way of knowing who might be next.”

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The statement also said the group tried to take more than 7,000 signed petitions to spare Cole to the governor, but its members “were told that due to construction, there is no way for the public to access the Governor’s office. Not even a makeshift reception area to allow Floridians’ voices to be heard.”

It went on: “A selection process shrouded in secrecy. No way for the public to make its voice heard. Key officials unavailable the week we are killing a human being. This is no system of orderly justice.”

The full statement is here.

Thirty years after his crime, Loran K. Cole has been executed at Florida State Prison for the 1994 murder of John Edwards, an 18-year-old Florida State University student.

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His death came after a last-ditch legal effort to prevent his execution based on alleged abuse he suffered at a notorious and now-shuttered boys’ reform school, as well as health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.

He was declared dead at 6:15 p.m. by a prison doctor. He had no last words, saying “no, sir” when asked.

Cole’s body appeared to tremble for several minutes as he lay strapped to the gurney.

There were 19 witnesses, two guards, four Corrections Department communications staff members, and seven journalists who observed Cole’s death.

Reporter Elena Barrera, who is covering tonight’s execution for the USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, spent weeks talking to loved ones and sifting through the Tallahassee Democrat’s archives and court records for a special report on the impact a savage murder and capital punishment has on those left behind.

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Friends and fraternity brothers of John Edwards, who was brutally murdered, spoke about all the missed moments they would have shared together from weddings to promotions.

Barrett Atwood said he didn’t process the pain for years. But one by one, everyone started to pick up the pieces and do the one thing they wished John could do — live.

Atwood became an attorney. One brother started a wealth management practice. Another became an ordained minister. Still another became a Marine.

The tragedy “just taught me a lot about life,” Atwood said. “And I’m sorry John had to lose his life to do that.”

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Barrera also spoke with convicted killer Loran Cole’s loved ones, who are still trying to separate the man from the monster portrayed in court records.

In the eyes of the state of Florida and a jury of his peers, Cole is a murderer. But to his ex-wife, he was her head-over-heels first love. To his son, he is the father he wishes he could’ve grown up with. To his prison pen pal, he is a cherished friend.

Read the two-part series here.

Cole woke up at 6 a.m. Thursday morning and has “remained compliant” since, said Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman.

He declined a meeting with a spiritual adviser but was joined by his son, Ryan Cole, and his pen-pal friend of 4 years, Beth Evans, for his last meal: Pizza, ice cream, M&Ms and soda.

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Veerman said Cole was offered a sedative, but he “cannot confirm whether or not he took it.”

An inmate’s family members are not permitted to witness his execution.

“We’ve extended an invitation to the victim’s family,” Veerman added. “At this point, no one is slated to attend, but I’ll have a statement that I will be reading … after the execution.”

Two of the last few executions in Florida were Tallahassee-related cases:

On Oct. 3, 2023, a drifter from Tallahassee who killed two women in the Florida Panhandle during a crime spree in 1996 was executed.

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Michael Duane Zack, 54, was sentenced to death in the 1996 Escambia County murder of Ravonne Smith during a crime spree that also included killing a woman, Laura Rosillo, in Okaloosa County.

And on Feb. 23, 2023, Donald Dillbeck, 59, was executed for the 1990 murder of Faye Vann outside a Tallahassee mall.

Dillbeck was the first prisoner executed in Florida since 2019, after a three-and-a-half year hiatus brought on by COVID-19. He was the 100th prisoner executed since the death penalty was reinstated in Florida in 1975, according to the Department of Corrections.

Dillbeck’s last words also were aimed at DeSantis.

“I know I hurt people when I was young. I really messed up,” said Dillbeck, 59, as he was strapped to a gurney in the Florida State Prison death chamber. “But I know Ron DeSantis has done a lot worse. He’s taken a lot from a lot of people. I speak for all men, women and children. He’s put his foot on our necks.”

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The Florida Department of Corrections lays out the detailed protocol for a convict’s execution day. Its guidance includes in part:

  • “A food service director, or his/her designee, will personally prepare and serve the inmate’s last meal. The inmate will be allowed to request specific food and non-alcoholic drink to the extent such food and drink costs forty dollars ($40) or less, is available at the institution, and is approved by the food service director.”
  • “The inmate will be escorted by one or more team members to the shower area, where a team member of the same gender will supervise the showering of the inmate. Immediately thereafter, the inmate will be returned to his/her assigned cell and issued appropriate clothing. A designated member of the execution team will obtain and deliver the clothing to the inmate.”
  • “A designated execution team member will ensure that the telephone in the execution chamber is fully functional and that there is a fully-charged, fully-functional cellular telephone in the execution chamber. Telephone calls will be placed from the telephone to ensure proper operation. Additionally, a member of the team shall ensure that the two-way audio communication system and the visual monitoring equipment arc fully functional.
  • “The only staff authorized to be in the execution chamber area are members of the execution team and others as approved by the team warden, including two monitors from FDLE. A designated execution team member, in the presence of one or more additional team members and an independent observer from FDLE, will prepare the lethal injection chemicals as follows, ensuring that each syringe used in the lethal injection process is appropriately labeled….”

Cole, then 27, and William Paul, then 20, befriended John Edwards and his sister, who planned to spend a weekend camping in the Ocala National Forest in February 1994. John was an 18-year-old student at FSU at the time.

Cole and Paul later attacked both siblings, according to court filings: Edwards died that night from a slashed throat and three blows to the head, causing a fractured skull. The sister was raped but got away.

“The men who committed these crimes are damnable animals,” then-Marion County Sheriff Ken Ergle said at the time, according to news reports.

In 1995, Cole and Paul were convicted of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon. Cole also was found guilty of two counts of sexual battery.

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Cole was sentenced to death and Paul was sentenced to life in prison. A state Corrections Department database on Thursday showed Paul is being held at Cross City Correctional Institution in Dixie County.

By 6 p.m. ET today, Cole will be strapped to a gurney in the death chamber at Florida State Prison, where, if all goes as planned, a three-drug cocktail will enter his veins through a needle.

Florida’s lethal injection cocktail consists of three chemicals:

  • The first is an injection of etomidate, an anesthetic.
  • The second injection is rocuronium bromide, a paralytic muscle relaxer.
  • The third is potassium acetate, which causes the heart to stop, followed by an injection of a saline solution. The executioner also injects a saline solution to ensure the drugs enter the inmate’s veins.

In 2000, then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation making lethal injection the state’s default method of execution amid controversy over the electric chair.

The last inmate Florida executed by electrocution was Allen Davis in July 1999. Witnesses described blood streaming from Davis’ nose and onto his shirt, which drew widespread attention two years after an inmate’s mask burst into flames during a different Florida electrocution.

On Thursday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court released a brief statement that it had declined Cole’s request to postpone his execution.

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“The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice (Clarence) Thomas and by him referred to the Court is denied,” the court said in a 10:33 a.m. email. “The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.”

A stay is a court action that stops a legal proceeding, usually temporarily.

More: ‘He wasn’t forgotten’: Friends of John Edwards reflect on Loran Cole’s impending execution

More: ‘He wasn’t forgotten’: Friends of John Edwards reflect on Loran Cole’s impending execution

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Portions of this live blog contain previously reported material by staff of the USA TODAY Network – Florida.

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.





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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

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Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies

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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies


A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.

See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say

Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.

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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”



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Son of 2nd patient who died after seeing Florida surgeon describes family’s heartbreak: ‘It’s just not right’

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Son of 2nd patient who died after seeing Florida surgeon describes family’s heartbreak: ‘It’s just not right’


Weyman Dorsett knew something went wrong with his mom’s surgery as he watched an ICU doctor review her medical charts.

“I’ll never forget and it’ll never leave my mind, the look on that doctor’s face as he was reading through the files,” Dorsett, 53, said. “… He was just shaking his head, like: ‘what in the living hell is going on?’”

His mother, 70-year-old Dorothy Dorsett, was in recovery after a surgeon removed a tumor from her digestive tract. But she was hardly eating and had an abnormally fast heartbeat, according to a lawsuit Dorsett later filed. She was moved to the ICU nearly a week after the surgery.

“She just started really spiraling, pain,” Dorsett said. “She was not my mom.”

She died days later, on Aug. 4, 2023.

About a year later, another patient, William Bryan, 70, died after the same surgeon operated on him.

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The surgeon, Thomas Shaknovsky was arrested this week, accused of accidentally removing Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen, prosecutors said. Shaknovsky operated on both Dorothy Dorsett and Bryan at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach.

Shaknovsky and his lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment. However, he has denied wrongdoing in Dorothy Dorsett’s case in court filings of his own, arguing that some of the allegations were inaccurate and that descriptions of Dorsett’s care were incomplete. The lawsuit remains ongoing.

Do you have a story to share? Email reporter matthew.lavietes@nbcuni.com or reach us at our tip line.

The hospital did not immediately return a request for comment. Earlier this week, Macdonald Walker, a spokesperson for Ascension Sacred Heart, said in a statement that Shaknovsky “was never a Sacred Heart Emerald Coast employee and has not practiced at any of our facilities since August 2024.”

Weyman Dorsett filed a lawsuit against Shaknovsky and Ascension Sacred Heart last year, accusing the doctor and hospital of negligence. He spoke out for the first time since his mother died in an interview with NBC News on Thursday.

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“I’ve got two boys, a wife, now a grandbaby, and you know, I’m trying to be there for them, but, man, I’ve struggled mentally in dealing with it,” he said. “It’s just not right.”

Harrison Dorsett, Dorothy Dorsett, Mr. Weyman Dorsett Sr (now deceased), and Weyman Dorsett Jr.
Harrison Dorsett, Dorothy Dorsett, Mr. Weyman Dorsett Sr (now deceased), and Weyman Dorsett Jr.Dorsett family

On July 24, 2023, Dorothy Dorsett was admitted to the hospital after suffering abdominal pain, Weyman Dorsett, said. At the time, he said his mom was “in great health.”

“She was going non-stop. She lived on her own, drove everywhere, she went all over,” he said. “Prior to the surgery, she flew to my oldest son’s wedding in Bentonville, Arkansas, with a broken leg from a car wreck.”

At the hospital, his mom was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding and acute blood loss anemia, according to the civil complaint.

The next day, the Dorsett family met Shaknovsky, whom Weyman Dorsett described as “odd.” He said the doctor prayed by his mom’s bedside before the surgery.

“It was way over the top,” Weyman Dorsett said. “It was very insincere to me.”

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He said his mother thought Shaknovsky was “very weird.”

That day, Shaknovsky performed a colonoscopy and found a tumor in Dorothy Dorsett’s digestive tract, which he removed on July 27, 2023, according to the complaint.

During the surgery following the colonoscopy, Shaknovsky did not perform a routine test, which would have ensured there were no leaks in a newly joined intestine, according to the complaint.

Shaknovsky told the family that the surgery “went great,” Weyman Dorsett said, but his mother’s condition immediately started to deteriorate.

He said that his mom was moved to the ICU on Aug. 2, 2023.

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Weyman Dorsett left that night, but his mother called him to come back to the hospital at midnight, saying she was going to die.

“My mom looked at me and just said, ‘It is what it is. I’ve lived a good life,’” he said. “And I had to sit there and watch her die.”

On Aug. 3, 2023, a doctor on call, Dr. Chun W. Chen, documented Dorothy Dorsett’s condition, according to the complaint, noting that he saw “more air than I would expect postsurgical” and mentioning concern “for bowel perforation specifically around the chain sutures in the pelvis.”

Chen added in the report that pockets of air had formed around Dorothy’s pelvis, according to the complaint.

“Although this may be postsurgical, cannot exclude bowel perforation,” he wrote.

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Chen said in a brief phone call that he didn’t remember the patient and declined to comment further.

That evening, Shaknovsky documented in a daily progress note the air and fluid collection in Dorothy’s pelvis, according to the complaint.

Shaknovsky did not advise surgical intervention due to Dorothy’s declining organ function and risks associated with anesthesia, the complaint says.

Dorothy Dorsett was pronounced dead at 5:29 a.m. on August 4, 2023, according to the complaint. She passed away surrounded by family, the complaint says.

“Until you go through it yourself, and to be there with my mom and watch her suffer, and to be there when she takes her last breath has been devastating,” Weyman Dorsett said. “I suffer every day. It’s a haunting memory that I can’t erase out of my mind.”

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Harrison Dorsett, left, Coleman Dorsett, back, and Dorothy Dorsett.
Harrison Dorsett, left, Coleman Dorsett, back, and Dorothy Dorsett.Dorsett family

Allegations of another botched surgery

On Aug. 21, 2024, prosecutors allege that Shaknovsky accidentally removed William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy.

Shaknovsky, who had been licensed to practice medicine in several states, had his Florida license suspended about a month after Bryan’s death. Later that year, he voluntarily surrendered his license to practice in Alabama. New York then suspended his license in 2025.

Bryan’s widow, Beverly Bryan, filed a civil lawsuit against Shaknovsky in 2025, accusing the surgeon of causing her husband’s death.

After the suit was filed, Weyman Dorsett learned that the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration completed an investigation into his mom’s death in September 2024, after Bryan’s botched surgery and more than a year after Dorothy’s death.

The investigation found that Shaknovsky and other hospital physicians “failed to appropriately use diagnostic testing and delayed in ordering imaging to timely treat sepsis” in Dorothy Dorsett’s case, according to a copy of the report.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration did not return a request for comment.

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Shaknovsky was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Bryan, according to officials.

“It’s bittersweet,” Weyman Dorsett said. “You know, nothing’s going to bring back Mr. Bryan, or my mom and all the other people that are still out there that have been butchered and suffered.”

Dorothy Dorsett grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she and her husband, Weyman Dorsett II, her high school sweetheart, raised their two children: Weyman Dorsett III and his sister.

“She just was everything you would think the American dream mom would be,” he said. “She led by example, best cook in the world. She was our rock.”

She and her husband moved back and forth from Alabama to Miramar Beach, Florida, about 30 miles west of Panama City. She moved to Miramar Beach permanently following the death of Weyman Dorsett II in 2021.

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Weyman Dorsett III described his mother’s passing as a “big piece missing.”



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