NewsWPLG Local 10September 2, 2026Miami-Dade
Florida executes Harold Gene Lucas for 1976 murder
The state of Florida executed 74-year-old Harold Gene Lucas via lethal injection at Florida State Prison on Tuesday. Lucas was convicted for the 1976 murder of 16-year-old Jill Piper and the wounding of two others.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
This execution marks the 14th carried out by Florida this year, with two additional executions scheduled for later this month.
Key Facts
- Harold Gene Lucas was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection.
- This is the 14th execution carried out in Florida in 2025.
- Two additional executions are scheduled for later this month: Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. on Sept. 10 and Curtis Wilkie Beasley on Sept. 29.
- Lucas was convicted for the 1976 murder of 16-year-old Jill Piper and the wounding of Richard Byrd Jr. and Terri Rice.
- Lucas had been on death row for 50 years and declined to file further appeals.
- Florida has carried out 19 executions in 2025, the highest number since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
- The execution protocol involves a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug to stop the heart.
Who's Mentioned
personDaniel Owen Conahan Jr.“Scheduled for execution on Sept. 10.”personJill Piper“The murder victim.”personHarold Gene Lucas“The executed prisoner.”personRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida who signed death warrants.”locationFlorida State Prison“Site of the execution.”personCurtis Wilkie Beasley“Scheduled for execution on Sept. 29.”