Starke, FL – A man convicted of a brutal 1988 rape and murder is scheduled to be executed Thursday evening, marking yet another addition to what has already become a historic and controversial year for executions in Florida.
Execution Scheduled Amid Record Year
State officials confirmed that Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is set to receive a lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison. Randolph was convicted in 1989 of murder, armed robbery, sexual battery, and grand theft after the fatal attack on his former manager, Minnie Ruth McCollum, at a Handy-Way convenience store in Palatka.
Florida has already carried out 16 executions in 2025, the most in any single year in the state’s history. If the death warrant proceeds as planned, Randolph will become the 17th inmate executed this year.
Details Behind the 1988 Crime
Court records outline a violent chain of events that began when Randolph attempted to break into the store’s safe in August 1988. McCollum confronted him, leading to a struggle that escalated into a horrific attack. She was beaten, strangled, stabbed, and raped before Randolph fled, stealing her vehicle.
Three women outside the store noticed the chaotic scene and alerted sheriff’s deputies. When a responding deputy entered, he found McCollum alive but gravely injured. She was taken to a hospital and placed in a coma, but doctors said her severe brain injuries were unsurvivable. She died six days later.
Arrest and Confession
Deputies arrested Randolph shortly afterward at a Jacksonville grocery store where he was attempting to borrow money and exchange lottery tickets stolen from the Handy-Way store. Investigators reported that Randolph confessed to the crime, leading authorities to bloody clothing he had discarded.
Appeals and Legal Efforts
Randolph’s final attempts to halt the execution have failed at the state level. The Florida Supreme Court denied his appeals last week. His arguments included claims that a lower court restricted access to key public records and that his lawyers acted without his consent. A final request for intervention remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Rising Execution Numbers Nationwide
Nationwide, 43 people have already been executed in 2025, and more than a dozen others are scheduled to be put to death by early 2026. Florida leads the nation this year, surpassing other high-execution states like Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas.
More Scheduled in December
The state is poised to continue the pace. Two additional executions are already lined up for next month under warrants signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis:
- Mark Allen Geralds, 58, scheduled for execution on Dec. 9, convicted of fatally stabbing a woman during a home invasion.
- Frank Athen Walls, 58, scheduled for Dec. 18, found guilty of fatally shooting two people during a robbery and later confessing to three additional killings.
Lethal Injection Procedure
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, executions are carried out using a three-drug protocol: a sedative, a paralytic, and a chemical that stops the heart.
Ongoing Debate Over the Death Penalty
Florida’s unprecedented number of executions this year is likely to fuel ongoing national debates about criminal justice, sentencing structures, and the ethics of capital punishment. With more warrants already in place, the state is on track to continue setting records.
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