Additional Coverage:
- Murder victim’s husband who waited 43 years for killer’s execution overcome with emotion (themirror.com)
Forty-three years after Janet White’s brutal murder, her husband, Randy White, witnessed the execution of her killer, Kayle Bates, 67. Bates was put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison last night. He declined to make a final statement.
In a statement following the execution, Mr. White expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support he has received over the decades. “I am truly humbled by the love and support from so many,” he shared.
Bates’ execution marks Florida’s tenth this year, a record high for the state. He was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982 slaying of Mrs.
White in Bay County. Court records detail how Bates abducted Mrs.
White from her workplace, an insurance company, dragged her into nearby woods, attempted to sexually assault her, and ultimately stabbed her to death, stealing a diamond ring from her finger.
While Bates’ arrest followed swiftly, his execution took over four decades. Witnesses observed the lethal injection procedure, which culminated in Bates being pronounced dead at 6:05 pm.
Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Florida’s previous high for annual executions was eight in 2014. With Bates’ execution, the state has now carried out ten this year, exceeding all other states.
Texas and South Carolina are tied for second with four executions each. Curtis Windom, 59, convicted of a triple homicide in the Orlando area in 1992, is scheduled to be Florida’s eleventh execution this year on Thursday, August 28.
Nationwide, Bates is the 29th person executed in 2024.