His death warrant was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis<\/a> a month earlier, on March 30.<\/p>\n James Ernest Hitchcock Hitchcock\u2019s final message before his death was directed to his friend, per The Independent<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Just to say goodbye to Joshua, my friend. Thanks for all you\u2019ve done,” he said while lying underneath a sheet and looking at the ceiling.<\/p>\n Court records reviewed by The Independent state that Hitchcock, then 20, was living with his brother in Orlando when he killed 13-year-old Cynthia Driggers. He told police after his arrest that he went into the girl\u2019s room and raped her after consuming beer and marijuana with his friends.<\/p>\n Driggers told Hitchcock that she was going to tell her mom, and he began to choke her. He then took the girl outside, where he beat and choked her, eventually leaving her in the bushes while he showered and went to bed.<\/p>\n The man, who later blamed his brother for the crime, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1977. He filed several appeals over the years, but was resentenced to death in 1988, 1993 and 1996.<\/p>\n Driggers\u2019 sister, Lynn Cobb, addressed reporters after the execution and said, \u201cWe will continue to remember Cindy by keeping her memory alive and always understanding that life is precious and time is valuable.”<\/p>\n The execution chamber at Florida State Prison. Hitchcock marked Florida\u2019s sixth execution in 2026 after the state\u2019s record 19 executions last year, per NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter<\/a> for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.<\/p>\n CBS-affiliate WKMG<\/a> reported that Hitchcock’s last meal was salad, chicken, ice cream, pie and soda. He was also visited by a family member.<\/p>\n According to the outlet, the Florida Supreme Court denied an appeal to halt Hitchcock\u2019s execution a week prior, after his attorneys argued that he was innocent and accused the state of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/694f0680ff29ec2d48edd498d31b8206.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Florida Department of Corrections<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1e15dd9e1407bb1768b000325543e8f9.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: The Palm Beach Post\/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n