Former police officer James Duckett executed for 1987 murder of Teresa McAbee

On July 28, former Mascotte police officer James Duckett was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison for the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. McAbee’s family watched the execution together with relatives of 14-year-old Jeanifer Weldon, whose disappearance in September 1987 is also believed to be linked to Ducket t. Sheriff Grady Judd said officials stopped seeking a separate conviction for Weldon because additional legal battles could have postponed Duckett’s death sentence.

Evidence linking Duckett to McAbee’s case included strong fingerprint and DNA matches, while the Weldon case relied on more circumstantial clues such as his early departure from work and possession of a stuffed kitten matching Weldon’s purchase. Despite never being tried for Weldon’s killing, the execution provided a sense of closure for her surviving family. Judd expressed frustration that the death penalty was not applied sooner and suggested that modern roadway cameras might have prevented the crimes.