A man from Florida, USA, convicted of killing a college freshman and raping the victim’s older sister while the siblings camped in a national forest 30 years ago was executed on Thursday, August 29.
Loran Cole, 57, received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. at Florida State Prison for the 1994 murder of the 18-year-old student. Cole was also serving two life sentences for rape.
Cole did not offer a final statement. When asked if he had any last words, he simply responded, “No sir.”
As the procedure began around 6 p.m., Cole briefly glanced at a witness in the front row. After three minutes, he started taking deep breaths with his cheeks puffing out. For a brief moment, his entire body trembled. Five minutes into the procedure, the warden shook him and shouted his name. Cole then appeared to stop breathing and was declared dead.
Department of Corrections officials reported that Cole was “compliant” in the hours leading up to his execution and had two visitors, including his son.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Cole’s final appeal earlier that day.
Court records show that Cole and his friend, William Paul, had befriended the two college students in the Ocala National Forest. After talking around a fire, the men offered to take the siblings to see a pond. Away from the campsite, Cole and Paul attacked the victims, robbed them, and Cole raped the sister before killing her brother.
The 18-year-old victim, a student at Florida State University, was beaten, had his throat slit, and was left dead in the forest. His 21-year-old sister, a senior at Eckerd College, was taken back to the campsite, where Cole raped and tied her up. She was left tied to a tree overnight but managed to free herself and seek help. Police later found her brother’s body lying face down on the ground.
Both Cole and Paul were convicted of first-degree murder, with Paul receiving a life sentence. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Cole’s death warrant last month.
This execution marked the first in Florida since Michael Zack was put to death in October of the previous year for the 1996 killing of Ravonne Smith.
