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.
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.
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Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
About the AuthorChristie Zizo headshotChristie Zizo
Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021. She cultivated her political reporting skills at Spectrum News 13, and before that at UCF. She spends her spare time with her beagle, Lulu, finding hidden gems around Central Florida, playing the violin and indulging her love for all things geek with her friends.