The name Loran Cole echoed between protesters outside of the Florida State Prison on Thursday evening. Holy whispers and prayers continued as the sun fell behind the trees.
“Loran’s life is sacred,” said Pastor Philip Egitto. “May God, our father, welcome him with mercy and love into the heavenly kingdom.”
The 57-year-old was executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2024.
About 30 years have passed since Loran was found guilty of both first-degree murder and sexual battery. Authorities said Cole and his accomplice, William Paul, befriended the Edwards siblings at a campsite in Ocala National Forest. Florida State student John Edwards was found brutally murdered with a slit throat and fractures to the skull. Cole was convicted of repeatedly raping Edwards’ sister and then abandoning her in the forest, tied to two trees.
About 30 years of tense waiting on Death Row turned into 30 days left to live after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on Cole’s execution on July 29.
In the time that Cole had left, his attorneys raised concerns about whether the procedure was safe and humane, including the threat the convict’s health posed to the efficiency of the injection.
After their appeal was rejected, Cole’s attorneys submitted a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday that said, “Cole’s Parkinson’s symptoms will make it impossible for Florida to safely and humanely carry out his execution because his involuntary body movements will affect the placement of the intravenous lines necessary to carry out an execution by lethal injection.”
Former Death Row inmate Herman Lindsey said he was not surprised to hear the Supreme Court decided not to halt the execution of Loran Cole.
“I think that the death penalty is used as a political tool to keep people in fear... but death isn't a punishment,” Lindsey said. “We all live to die.”
Lindsey spent three years on Death Row at the Florida State Prison before receiving an appellate acquittal of his charges. He said he will not leave behind those sentenced to the death penalty.
“I'm going to fight to end the death penalty here in Florida, save people tax money and try to make rehabilitation and humanity come back in our justice system,” Lindsey said.
Cole’s case also gained attention due to his history with the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys - a reform school known for the torture and abuse of students. His attorneys argued this played a role in Cole’s violent actions in 1994.
Another protester present Tuesday evening was Armando Garcia, the director of organizing for Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. He made note of a tradition the attendees like to do in an attempt to communicate with the condemned.
“There is a tradition of ringing a bell. This is my first time seeing it, but they say it can be heard from inside,” Garcia said. “So it's a way of letting the incarcerated, the person being executed, in this case Mr. Cole, know that there are people with him.”
Garcia also described his unique relationship with this particular case.
“I had a parent who was incarcerated,” Garcia said. “So, I've been in contact with the son of Loran Cole and tried to support him so that he can come and see his father and say his goodbyes.”
Garcia’s efforts proved valuable as 36-year-old Ryan Cole did join his father that evening along with Beth Evans, Cole’s pen pal, for a final goodbye.
While his last day consisted of meeting with family and friends, Cole also requested a last meal of pizza, ice cream, M&M’s and a soda. When asked if he had any last words, he simply responded, "No, sir,” according to witnesses.
Protesters dispersed around 6:30 p.m. after a quick word of prayer, and officials arrived to confirm the fulfillment of the procedure.
Ted Veerman, communications director for the Florida Department of Corrections, confirmed the execution took place without incident. An emotional statement prepared by Edwards’ parents was also read for the assembled press afterwards.
“Though sentenced to death, Mr. Cole has been granted 30 years of life in Florida state prisons. During those 30 years, he has been free to read books, study, eat proper meals, sleep in a bed, get medical care, bathe and exercise, receive visitors, and to simply exist,” Timothy and Victoria Edwards wrote. “This is something he brutally took from our son — life — that cannot be undone.”
The statement continued by stating how much John’s sister has accomplished in her time since the violent incident. She is now a wife, a mother and maintains a career in education.
“Though invisible to others, our daughter bears internal scars that will never go away.” The statement continued, “She picked up the pieces of her life and took the difficult steps to move forward in the absence of her brother with only the memories he left behind.”
The Edwards’ concluded their statement by supporting the governor in his decision to move forward with Cole’s sentence.
Loran Cole is the first to be executed in Florida this year.
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