Florida Man Executed for 1987 Double Murd£r During Home Invasion
Florida Man Executed for 1987 Double Murd£r During Home Invasion – A United States inmate convicted of killing a man and his girlfriend during a home invasion robbery in 1987 was executed on Thursday evening, marking Florida’s 19th execution this year — the highest number recorded by the state in a single year.
Frank Athen Walls (58) was pronounced dead at 6:11pm after receiving a lethal three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He had been convicted of two counts of murder, kidnapping, burglary and theft.
Walls was first sentenced to death in 1988, but the Florida Supreme Court later overturned the conviction and ordered a retrial. He was again convicted and sentenced to death in 1992.
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Moments before the execution, Walls issued an apology to the victims’ families.
“Good evening, everyone. I appreciate the opportunity to say what’s on my heart. If any of the members of the family are here, I am sorry for all of the things I did, the pain I caused, and all of that you have suffered all these years,” he said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ spokesperson, Alex Lanfranconi, confirmed that the execution proceeded without complications.
Court records show that Walls broke into a mobile home in the Florida Panhandle in July 1987, occupied by Eglin Air Force Base airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson. After tying the couple up, Alger managed to break free and fight back. Walls responded by cutting Alger’s throat and shooting him in the head. Peterson was later attacked and shot as she struggled.
Walls was arrested a day after the bodies were discovered, following a tip-off from his roommate. Investigators reportedly recovered items linked to the crime, and Walls later confessed.
DNA evidence later connected Walls to the rape and murder of Audrey Gygi in May 1987. He pleaded no contest, avoiding a separate death sentence. He also admitted responsibility for two earlier murders as part of a plea agreement.
Governor DeSantis, who signed the death warrant, has overseen more executions in a single year than any Florida governor since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. He previously stated that his aim was to deliver justice to families who had waited decades.
The US Supreme Court rejected Walls’ final request for a stay of execution earlier on Thursday.
Including Walls, 47 inmates have been executed in the United States so far this year, with Florida leading, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas.
