STARKE, Fla. — A 70-year-old Florida man faces execution Thursday evening for the brutal murder of his 13-year-old step-niece nearly five decades ago.
James Ernest Hitchcock is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was originally condemned to death in 1977 following his conviction for first-degree murder in the July 31, 1976, slaying of Cynthia Driggers. After multiple appeals, courts repeatedly upheld his death sentence in 1988, 1993, and 1996.
The execution would mark the state’s sixth this year, continuing a dramatic surge that followed a record-setting 19 executions in 2025. Under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida carried out more death sentences in 2025 than any governor since capital punishment resumed in 1976, shattering the previous high of eight executions set in 2014.
Court documents reveal that Hitchcock had been living with his brother’s family in Orlando for several weeks before the tragic incident. On the night of July 31, 1976, the then-20-year-old returned home after drinking beer and using marijuana with friends. Investigators say he then sexually assaulted Cynthia Driggers, his brother’s stepdaughter.
When the teenager told Hitchcock she was hurt and intended to inform her mother, he prevented her from leaving her bedroom and began strangling her, authorities stated. He then dragged the girl outside, where he continued beating and choking her until she died, before hiding her body in nearby bushes. Hitchcock subsequently showered and went to sleep.
During his trial, Hitchcock changed his story, claiming his brother discovered him and the girl after what he described as consensual sex. He testified that his brother flew into a rage and killed the girl outside, and that he had only confessed initially to shield his sibling.
Hitchcock maintained “he had initially taken the blame to protect his brother.”
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an appeal to stop the execution. Defense lawyers contended their client was innocent and argued the state unlawfully denied access to public records concerning capital punishment cases.
A final appeal remains under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nationwide, 47 individuals were executed in 2025, with Florida leading due to numerous death warrants issued by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas each carried out five executions, tying for second place.
Florida has another execution planned for May 21, when Richard Knight, 47, is set to receive a lethal injection for fatally stabbing his cousin’s girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter.
The state’s execution protocol involves a three-drug combination consisting of a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a heart-stopping medication, according to the Department of Corrections.
