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Florida Supreme Court lifts stay of execution for James Duckett

Duckett has maintained his innocence in the murder of Teresa McAbee

James Duckett and Teresa McAbee (Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The execution of former Mascotte police officer James Duckett can go forward after the Florida Supreme Court lifted its stay.

Duckett has been on death row for decades for the 1987 murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Duckett has long maintained his innocence.

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In March, the high court issued a rare stay of execution pending the results of DNA testing on evidence from McAbee’s underwear.

The court ruled the underlying DNA testing data could be sent out for an analysis in April.

The analysis of the results, however, were inconclusive.

The Supreme Court ruled that since the issue was resolved, the court would not consider relitigating the decisions.

It’s unclear when Duckett will be executed.